The Apple Watch can accurately determine a user’s “frailty,” according to the results of a recently published study from Stanford University.
Like MyHealthyApple reported, Apple Watch can determine frailty using a six-minute walk test (6MWT). The metric is a common standard to assess a patient's functional mobility and physical performance. Higher scores indicate healthier cardiac, respiratory, circulatory and neuromuscular function," Apple said. For the study, conducted by researchers at Stanford University and funded by Apple, 110 patients with cardiovascular disease received an iPhone 7 and an Apple Watch Series 3 from Veterans Affairs. Patients performed regular six-minute walk tests at home, which were then compared to their standard 6MWT performance in the clinic.
Apple Watch: Passive activity data is the predictor of 6MWT performance
The study found that an Apple smartwatch was able to accurately assess frailty with a sensitivity of 90 percent and a specificity of 85 percent when monitored in a clinical setting. When measured unsupervised at home, the Apple Watch was able to accurately assess frailty with a sensitivity of 83 percent and a specificity of 60 percent. The results suggest that passive activity data collected by the Apple Watch is an accurate predictor of clinical 6MWT performance.
In this longitudinal observational study, passive activity data collected using an iPhone and Apple Watch were an accurate predictor of 6MWT performance in the clinic. This finding suggests that frailty and functional capacity in patients with cardiovascular disease could be monitored and evaluated remotely, allowing for safer and higher resolution patient monitoring.
watchOS 7 includes a number of mobility-related health metrics
While the study used a specially designed app called "VascTrac" to collect 6MWT data alongside the smartwatch's passively collected activity data, Apple has since included a number of new mobility-related health metrics in watchOS 7, including the 6MWT. It's likely that preliminary data from studies like this one encouraged Apple to add the metrics in watchOS 7. The research findings could encourage healthcare providers to offer patients with cardiovascular disease an at-home assessment of functional capacity using an Apple Watch. (Photo by Vladimka / Bigstockphoto)
