JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Oxygen consumption is an important index to evaluate in cardiac patients, particularly those with heart failure, and is measured in the setting of advanced cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Technological advances now allow estimating this parameter in many consumer and medical-grade wearable devices, making it available for the medical provider at the initial evaluation of patients. We report a case of an apparently healthy 40-year-old male who presented for evaluation due to an Apple Watch notification of low cardiac fitness. This alert triggered a thorough workup, revealing a diagnosis of familial non-ischemic cardiomyopathy with severely reduced left ventricular systolic function.

Objective:

We aim to review the literature that supports the use of validated wearables to obtain accurate oxygen consumption measurements and the utility of wearable devices as a potential screening and risk stratification tool. We further discuss bringing oxygen consumption monitoring to a more central role in cardiac patients' screening, initial evaluation, and post-treatment process.

Methods:

The case was identified at Sheba Medical Center, and the patient's cardiac fitness was monitored during and after treatment via the Apple Watch. The patient underwent comprehensive cardiac workup during this period. Subsequently, we searched the literature for articles relating to VO2 max measurement and wearable devices in this field.

Results:

The participant provided the cardiac fitness data via his Apple Watch. The included articles support the use of wearable devices for VO2 max measurement in various conditions and cardiac rehabilitation.

Conclusions:

This report demonstrates the potential utility of routine VO2 max measurement for screening cardiac and non-cardiac diseases to elucidate therapeutic options for patients in an accelerated timeframe and initiate early interventions.