Apple Watch now measures cardiovascular tone, too

Now Health can provide a data interpretation that anyone can understand and compare with past period trends

For a few days, new Apple Watch functionality (from Series 3 onwards, on devices updated with the new watchOS 7) has been available on Apple Watch Level of cardiovascular tone. The Capacity of the heart and respiratory system It is indicated by VO2 MaxIt is the largest amount of oxygen the body can handle and use. This metric has been an obsession for athletes looking to improve their performance for years, but it is also an important indicator of general health status and makes long-term predictions possible, among other things that can be improved, albeit without rush. .

In the past, VO2 max was only detected by the Watch during training and sports. Now the device does this throughout the day while paying close attention to our daily tracks. This most in-depth monitoring provides relevant health indicators, The lower levels are specially controlled In the event of a response, the user will be notified via messages. “Low levels of cardiovascular tone are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (American Heart Association data), and all-cause mortality.Spiega Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association Dell.

On the iPhone in the Cardiovascular Tone category of the Health app, you can check the maximum VO2 level, which is rated as: high, above average, below average, or low. To provide users with an easier understanding of the value In fact, compared to people in the same age group Of the same gender. You can select, view, and compare information for a day, last week, month, or year.

Those with a very low VO2 max can receive it Specific indications for its improvement over timeBut also assess the situation with your doctor. From this point of view, in the US, Apple is already offering more advanced ways to share information from the Health app available to your doctor, in Europe the best option is still the classic screen capture to send it later via email or chat messages.

In the pre-smartwatch era, direct measurement of maximum oxygen consumption was possible Only with rigorous clinical testing And specific equipment. Now the landscape has changed, if not in terms of time and money, at least in terms of reliability medical devices remain the best option, but they are also the most complex, the value that tools like the Watch that we wear and use 24 hours a day seven days out of seven, It has great practical value and can serve as an indication for more in-depth investigations.

In our opinion, the important thing is to be able to read (know where to find and interpret) all data provided by the Watch and investigate it with medical tools in case of inconsistencies. The fact remains that not only fitness, but also health is the field of smart watch application where in the next few years we will witness a real revolution, accelerated by the global pandemic.

In detecting the VO2 max with the Watch, the optical heart rate monitor is the main one, along with this are added sensors like GPS and accelerometer. In order to collect reliable data, it is a good idea to remember it Tighten the cuff as much as possible And make sure that the user’s settings (weight, height, level of sport, etc …) correspond to the real situation in the smallest detail.