According to a scientific report published in Nature, one of the world’s leading journals, the Apple Watch Series 6 is “a reliable way to obtain heart rate and oxygen saturation (SpO2) in patients with lung disease under controlled conditions”.
The study “Comparison of SpO2 and heart rate values on Apple Watch and traditional commercial oximeters in patients with lung disease” conducted by Leonardo Zumerkorn Pipek, Rafaela Farias Vidigal Nascimento, Milena Marques Pagliarelli Acencio, and Lisete Ribeiro Teixeira is very promising for the Apple Watch Series 6 obtained promising data.
The results are pretty similar:
In a study conducted by the University of São Paulo, one of the best educational institutes in Brazil, with 100 outpatients from a pneumology clinic with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and interstitial lung disease; SpO2 and heart rhythm data from Apple Watch Series 6 were compared with 2 different pulse oximeters.
In the study, “strong positive correlations were observed between the Apple Watch device and commercial oximeters” and it was stated that “There was no statistical difference in the evaluation of skin color, wrist circumference, wrist hair and enamel nail for SpO2 and hearing speed measurements on Apple Watch or commercial oximeter devices.”
In tests conducted on healthy individuals, individuals with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD):
- There are strong positive correlations between the Apple Watch Series 6 device and commercial oximeters when evaluating heart rate measurements and oximetry measurements,
- Apple Watch tends to have higher SpO2 values than commercial oximeters, but heart rate measurements are similar on both devices,
- It was observed that there were no significant differences for both parameters, SpO2 and heart rate between Apple Watch and commercial oximeter devices in different groups of ILD, COPD and healthy individuals.
Study performed under controlled conditions
Overall, the study indicates that “the Apple Watch device is accurate and similar, despite the tendency to deliver higher values when compared to conventional oximetry devices.” It’s also important to note that the results were obtained under controlled conditions.
The study also notes that “advancement in smartwatch technology continues to evolve and studies are needed to assess accuracy and reliability in various types of diseases.”
Apple; He underlines that the oxygen blood measurement feature for Apple Watch Series 6, which is different from the Apple Watch Series 4, which needs government approval to take EKG and was first introduced in 2020, is not medically approved and this feature is only for the good of the person using the device.
Although it is not known whether it will be updated according to last year’s model, it is known that the Apple Watch Series 7, which has not been released yet, will also have an oxygen blood measurement feature. Regardless, studies like these show that the Apple Watch does a pretty good job of giving people control over their health.
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