Smartwatch-Based Screening Improves Detection of New-Onset A-Fib

THURSDAY, Jan. 22, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Six-month smartwatch-based atrial fibrillation (AF) screening improves detection of new-onset AF among patients at elevated stroke risk, according to a study published online Jan. 21 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Nicole J. van Steijn, M.D., from Amsterdam University Medical Centre, and colleagues examined new-onset AF detection in patients at elevated risk for stroke using remote smartwatch-based screening in a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial. Participants aged 65 years and older with elevated stroke risk were recruited and randomly assigned to 180 days of monitoring with a smartwatch with photoplethysmography (PPG) and single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) functions or standard care (219 and 218 individuals, respectively); an independent eHealth team reviewed the ECGs remotely within 24 hours.

The researchers found that new-onset AF occurred in 9.6 and 2.3 percent of patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively (hazard ratio, 4.40). Paroxysmal AF occurred in both groups, while asymptomatic AF episodes were only detected in the intervention group.

“Using smartwatches with PPG and ECG functions aids doctors in diagnosing individuals unaware of their arrhythmia, thereby expediting the diagnostic process,” lead author Michiel M. Winter, M.D., Ph.D., also from Amsterdam University Medical Center, said in a statement. “Our findings suggest a potential reduction in the risk of stroke, benefiting both patients and the health care system by reducing costs. This reduction would offset the initial cost of the device.”

Two authors disclosed ties to Apple, which loaned the Apple Watch devices used in this study.

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