An Apple Watch to Monitor Falls, Track Heart Rhythms

Apple's Series 4 smartwatch has new features to detect falls and heart problems as the company forges ahead into the preventive health market, reports Kaiser Health News . KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Andy Hargreaves says the Series 4's fall prevention and electrocardiogram apps are a "play to sell people more stuff" and extend health-monitoring to baby boomers who want to keep themselves and their parents healthy. The fall-monitoring app employs sensors in the watchband, which are automatically enabled for people 65 and older after they enter their age. The sensors track and record user movements, noting if the user's gait becomes unsteady. The watch alerts the wearer if a fall is detected, and contacts emergency services if the wearer fails to respond to and deactivate the alert within 60 seconds. The ECG monitoring app also uses wristband sensors to track wearer heartbeat and send alerts if it becomes excessively fast or slow. The app is designed to identify atrial fibrillation.