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Enhanced Detection and Prompt Diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation Using Apple Watch: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Submitted by

Vincent Sier

Source

Source Name: The Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Source URL: https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.11.032

Author(s)

Nicole J. van Steijn, Isabel S. Blommestijn, Sebastiaan Blok, Shari Pepplinkhuizen, G. Aernout Somsen, Reinoud E. Knops, Laura Breukel, Jan G.P. Tijssen, Igor I. Tulevski, Philip M. Croon, Michiel M. Winter

In this Dutch prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT), 437 patients over the age of 64 with elevated stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2 men, ≥3 women) were randomized to either standard care or smartwatch monitoring for 180 days. The primary outcome of new onset atrial fibrillation occurred in 9.6 percent of the patients in the intervention group compared to 2.3 percent in the control group. The results suggest that smartwatch-based screening for atrial fibrillation enhances the detection rate of new-onset atrial fibrillation in this specific patient population.