We have heard reports of "Apple Watch saving people" many times, such as netizens posting that Apple Watch detected the possibility of atrial fibrillation in the heart and was diagnosed in the hospital, and some netizens said that Apple Watch detected arrhythmias and so on. In fact, this is closely related to a feature of the Apple Watch, which is "ECG".
ECG
"ECG" is an electrocardiogram, which records the activity of the heart by placing electrodes on the body. After almost four years of waiting, Apple finally pushed the ECG function for the Apple Watch Chinese mainland. Now, your Apple Watch isn't just a small wearable accessory, it's also a small medical device that can be worn on your wrist.
However, it should be reminded that the ECG function of Apple Watch cannot replace the detection of hospitals and the diagnosis of doctors, it is only the use of technology to remind us of good health. Once the body has some discomfort, it is still necessary to go to the hospital for medical treatment.
How do I set up ECG functionality for apple watch?
Before setting up the ECG function, you need to make sure that the iPhone in your hand is upgraded to iOS 15.2 system, and the Apple Watch is also upgraded to watchOS 8.3. In addition, the ECG function only supports Apple Watch Series 4 and subsequent digital series models, and the Apple Watch SE currently on sale does not support ECG functions. At the same time, the ECG function is only available to people under the age of 22, so the post-00s may have to wait a while to use it.
Before using ECG, make sure that your phone is upgraded to iOS 15.2 and your Apple Watch is upgraded to watchOS 8.3
When both the iPhone and Apple Watch are upgraded to the latest version, you can set up ECG functions in the Health app. Find the electrocardiogram (ECG) option in Health-Heart and enter information such as age according to the corresponding prompts to complete the setting. After the setup is complete, a "wave-like" app will appear on the Apple Watch, and you can click to start measuring the ECG.
ECG app in Apple Watch
Before measuring the ECG, make sure the Apple Watch is dry enough and fits the wrist, place the arm flat on the table or on the knee, and place the finger on the digital crown for 30 seconds to complete the test. After 30 seconds, the Apple Watch generates an ELECTROCARDI for us to store in the iPhone, and the Apple Watch also provides us with different conclusions for different data.
The Apple Watch can provide results in four categories
Judging by the results, the Apple Watch can provide results in four categories. Among them, the "sinus rhythm" result means that the heart is beating regularly at a heart rate of 50 beats per minute to 100 beats per minute; the "atrial fibrillation" result means that the heart rate is irregular and it is recommended to go to the hospital; "low or high heart rate" means that when the heart rate is lower than 50 beats per minute or higher than 120 beats per minute, the ability to detect atrial fibrillation in the mobile ECG atrial fibrillation suggesting software will be affected; the "uncertain" result is more complex, which may represent the tester's heart rate between 100 beats per minute and 120 beats per minute. And there is no atrial fibrillation, the user has a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), the recorded data may show some other signs of arrhythmias or heart conditions that are not used by the Apple Watch to identify, and certain physiological conditions may cause a small percentage of users to not be able to generate enough signals to generate accurate records.
It is worth noting that Apple has also reminded many times in the health app that the ECG function of the Apple Watch cannot be used as a medical treatment, and cannot detect heart attacks, blood clots, strokes, and cannot detect including high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, high cholesterol or other forms of arrhythmias, so when users feel uncomfortable or feel any symptoms, please consult a doctor or seek medical attention immediately.
If you also have an Apple Watch, you might as well upgrade the ECG feature!
At present, the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram is commonly used in the infirmary, which records electrical signals from different angles of the heart and generates 12 different waveforms. The ECG function on the Apple Watch can generate an ECG similar to a single-lead (or lead I) ECG, which is one of the twelve waveforms mentioned above, which can provide heart rate and rhythm information and classify atrial fibrillation.
Normal ECG with atrial fibrillation ECG
The so-called "atrial fibrillation" is the arrhythmia we often talk about. Although this is a relatively common disease of old age, because some young people do not pay much attention to physical health, there may be atrial fibrillation when drinking heavily, exercising vigorously, over-stressing or too tired, so this disease is also worthy of our attention.
While working, we must also pay attention to our own bodies. Abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, maintaining a pleasant mindset, reducing caffeine intake, exercising consistently, and paying attention to blood pressure and blood sugar control can also reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation.
In a previous interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, "If we look back at the future and think, 'What is Apple's greatest contribution?' I think it's going to be in the area of physical and mental health. "The addition of ECG ecglyogram function to Apple Watch this time gives each of us the opportunity to understand and manage our personal bodies. Although the results of the Apple Watch's ECG cannot be used as medical treatment, it also represents a step forward for Apple in the field of personal health in the sense of the Apple Watch industry. After all, health always comes first.