Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
Validation of Smartwatches Integrated With Photoplethysmography for Continuous Evaluation of Atrial Fibrillation Burden
- prospective study
Authors' conclusion
Smartwatches integrated with the PPG algorithm offer a practical and noninvasive approach for continuous AF burden monitoring. The results suggest that PPG can be an effective approach for long-term AF management, providing an accessible alternative to traditional ECG monitoring. (Study on the Effectiveness of AF Analysis Software in AF Rhythm Monitoring [PPG-AF]; NCT05333380).
Study context
- Population
- Patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) at Beijing Anzhen Hospital between January and December 2024, monitored on the day prior to radiofrequency catheter ablationparticipants recruited, of whom 412 (56.6%) had paroxysmal AF
- Participants
- 728 patients
- Exposure
- smartwatch integrated with the PPG algorithm, with patch-based electrocardiography (P-ECG) as the reference, for estimation of AF burden
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
average monitoring time
20.4 ± 4.5 hours
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Overall validity rate
| Outcome | mean difference (95% limits of agreement CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| AF burden agreement (Bland-Altman) · excellent agreement | −1.34% (−6.45% to 3.77%) | |
| −10−505Difference (linear scale) |
| Outcome | watch-based PPG | P-ECG | Estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic performance, interval level | |||
| sensitivity | 98.70% (95% CI: 98.66%-98.73%) | Not reported in the abstract | |
| specificity | 99.56% (95% CI: 99.54%-99.57%) | Not reported in the abstract | |
| Diagnostic performance, individual level | |||
| sensitivity | 91.73% (95% CI: 88.89%-94.15%) | Not reported in the abstract | |
| specificity | 96.96% (95% CI: 95.09%-98.59%) | Not reported in the abstract |
PPG records after segmentation
- total PPG records
- 1,440,826
- 30-second intervals
Correlation of PPG-based and electrocardiography (ECG)-measured AF burden
- r
- 0.999
Original publication
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it