A large-scale clinical study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the latest Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch can detect early signs of cardiovascular disease with 89% accuracy.
The study, involving 48,000 participants across 12 countries, tracked heart rhythm, blood oxygen, and activity patterns over 18 months. AI algorithms analysed the continuous data streams to identify patterns associated with developing heart conditions.
Participants identified as high-risk by the wearable AI were 3.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease within 12 months compared to those flagged as low-risk.
The findings could transform preventive healthcare. Heart disease remains the world's leading cause of death, killing 17.9 million people annually. Early detection through ubiquitous wearable devices could save millions of lives.