AI Wearables Set to Transform Real-Time Heart Attack Detection

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which are disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels, are the primary cause of death worldwide.

According to the WHO, close to 18 million people are estimated to have died from these diseases in 2019, which is about 32% of all deaths in the world. Of these, a vast majority (85%) of deaths have been due to stroke and heart attack.

Notably, having a heart attack leads to other problems. It actually increases the risk of developing serious long-term health conditions considerably. 

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Leeds early last year analyzed over 145 million records of patients admitted to hospital over a nine-year period and found that those who had a heart attack developed further conditions like stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, severe bleeding, type 2 diabetes, and depression at a much higher rate than those who hadn’t had one.

Among these conditions, over 30% of patients end up having kidney or heart failure. While less than 10% suffered more heart attacks, a massive 38% died from any cause during the study period.

When it comes to the US specifically, here, someone dies from a heart attack every 40 seconds. Approximately 800,000 people suffer a heart attack in the US every year and 75% of these are a first heart attack while the rest have had one already.

A study from a couple of years ago reported that the rate of heart attack mortality in the US is actually higher compared to other high-income nations like Canada, England, the Netherlands, and Israel.

The study examined data between 2011 and 2017 for patients 66 and older who were admitted to a hospital with a heart attack in these countries, which have highly developed healthcare systems and accessible administrative data but differ in financing, organization, and overall performance.

It revealed that the US mortality rate was “concernedly high,” with Dr. Peter Cram, professor and chair of internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) noting at the time, “The U.S. seems to focus really hard on those technologically advanced new and shiny things,” adding, “we should focus more on the mortality rate instead of getting people in and out of the hospital.”

While the care provided in the country is “good”, the one-year mortality rate is just too concerning with no answer as to what’s behind this. “Is it gaps in wealth? Is it obesity rates? Is it people not taking recommended medications? We don’t know,” said Cram.

An Alarming Rise in Severe Obesity

According to the most recent study conducted by researchers from Pennington Biomedical Research Center, the United States is actually seeing a disproportionate increase in body mass index rates. 

For this, the researchers examined national health data (NHANES) from 2001 through 2023. 

As per the data, both people having normal weight (BMIs of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m²) and overweight (BMIs of 25.0 to 29.9) decreased in the time frame. 

Meanwhile, the average rate of obesity among US adults has increased by 30% in the past two decades. But a far more alarming spike of 210% was discovered in the number of patients with the most severe forms of obesity. This involves those with a body mass index (BMI) in the range of 60 kg/m2 or greater.

“Most attention is focused on the category of general obesity, which starts with a BMI of 30 kilograms per square meter, but there is less attention paid to prevalence of obesity of 60 BMI or greater, a category associated with an increased clinical burden, impaired mobility, and elevated healthcare costs.”

– Dr. Philip Schauer, director of the Metamor Institute at Pennington Biomedical

He further noted the importance of the study being the first one to “categorize the growing pervasiveness” of extreme obesity. Schauer added:

“Its gravity is not to be understated, as patients in this category face far greater health risks and comorbidities.” 

To put it into context, the average person with a BMI of 30 kg/m² is about 30 to 40 pounds overweight. The person having a BMI double this or more meanwhile is more than 200 pounds overweight. 

What’s critical here is that this extreme form of obesity was presumed to be very rare. This was due to a lack of clear understanding and as a result, reports would count all individuals with a BMI at or above 30 kg/m² in one group.  

But the picture presented by this study is far more clear with the cases of extreme obesity now estimated to be more than 850,000 people in the US. 

As per its results, there are also rising cases of BMIs between 50.0 and 59.9 kg/m². However, the 60 kg/m² BMI or above is of grave concern because of its relation with the risk of associated diseases. 

Those with such extreme obesity are often not mobile or need assistance to move about. Not only are they unable to work because of their disability but tend to have many hospital visits to treat severe illnesses.

This raises serious concerns for the healthcare industry as extremely obese patients often surpass the weight limit for standard medical equipment. Besides adding complexity to biomedical imaging and surgeries, the weight limits prevent healthcare professionals from providing typical medical care to patients who are already at a greater risk for comorbidities.

“The rate of growth in cases of obesity with a BMI of 60 or greater sends an urgent message to healthcare providers and policymakers to develop the necessary resources and infrastructure to address the challenges posed by this condition.”

– Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical.

Interestingly, the cases of extreme degree of obesity have risen together with the development and prescribing of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based medications, which are used to treat type 2 diabetes as well as obesity.

While these medications have shown promise in addressing the problem of obesity, their effectiveness in patients with a BMI of 60 kg/m2 and more is largely unknown. This is because randomized controlled trials for the medications have only been done with those whose average BMI is in the range of 37 to 38 kg/m². 

Obesity-related Heart Disease Deaths Rising

Not just average obesity but extreme cases of it are rising at a fast pace in the US and this is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

According to a preliminary study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions last year, between the period of 1999 and 2020, deaths caused by heart disease due to obesity surged by 180% in the US.

“Obesity is a serious risk factor for ischemic heart disease, and this risk is going up at an alarming rate along with the increasing prevalence of obesity.”

– Lead study author Aleenah Mohsin, a post-doc research fellow at Brown University

As per the study, the men’s death rate, when adjusted for age, increased by 243%, and for women, it jumped by 131%.

In a separate, previous study, Mayo Clinic researchers meanwhile found younger women “at higher risk of major complications after a heart attack.”

Younger women are actually more likely than men to die at the hospital because of their heart attack. Moreover, women have had distinctive differences in their risk profiles for heart disease, being more likely to have atrial fibrillation, diabetes, hypertension, anemia, and previous stroke than men. 

All of this makes it critical to detect cardiovascular disease as early as possible.

Here, companies, researchers, and scientists are employing artificial intelligence to save people from heart attacks. The use of AI is growing across sectors including medicine where the technology is increasingly being used to detect and prevent diseases including those related to the heart.

Earlier this year, a study funded by the British Heart Foundation, created an AI model that can use electrocardiograms (ECGs), the recording of heart’s electrical signals, to flag female patients at higher risk of heart disease. 

Built specially for female patients by analyzing data of over one million ECGs from 180,000 patients, over half of which were female, it can enable doctors to diagnose high-risk women in time, allowing for better treatment and care. 

The study noted that women are often “misdiagnosed or even dismissed by healthcare professionals,” and even if they receive the right diagnosis, they are less likely to get recommended treatments. “The AI enhanced ECGs give us a more nuanced understanding of female heart health – and we believe this could be used to improve outcomes for women at risk of heart disease,” said study lead Dr. Arunashis Sau, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer.

Less than a year ago, a team of scientists from Scripps Research meanwhile reported an AI tool that can recreate a complete 12-lead ECG using data from just three electrodes, which cardiologist Evan Muse said “opens up the door to patients being able to get really high-quality, time-sensitive clinical data.”

AI-powered Wearable to Detect Heart Attack

Now, most recently, engineers from the University of Mississippi developed a tech that can accurately detect heart attacks in real-time.

This can make a critical difference in heart attack treatment as here every second counts. Research has shown that the longer the time lag between the patient receiving a treatment, the more likely they are to die. 

This means, the quicker the person is diagnosed, the faster the intervention can be offered, and the more lives can be saved.

“When a patient is having a heart attack, the sooner you can treat them, the less likely they are to have permanent damage. There’s a huge time-sensitive element to heart attacks.”

– Kasem Khalil, an electrical and computer engineering professor at UM

Here, the new technology with its ability to identify heart attacks faster and more accurately than conventional methods can make all the difference. And “compared to traditional methods, our technology is up to two times faster, while still highly accurate,” noted Khalil.

Besides improving performance for identifying heart attacks, the focus of the team was also on the design. “If we want to make this device a usable machine for any person, that means it has to be something lightweight and economic,” noted Khalil.

It was by focusing on all the aspects of the technology, both software and hardware, that the team optimized the whole system.

The researchers here made use of AI and advanced mathematics to build the chip that assesses ECGs and then identifies a heart attack right when it occurs. This chip is designed to be lightweight as well as energy efficient so that it can be implanted into wearable devices while offering a high (92.4%) accuracy. According to co-author Tamador Mohaidat, a doctoral student in Khalil’s lab:

“We wanted to be able to implement this in a way that is real. This is portable hardware that can be in wearable or monitoring devices.”

By enabling heart mentoring in real time, their method showcases great potential to save lives.

This is unlike the current methods of heart attack detection, which often happen in a medical facility. Currently, someone suspected of having a heart attack has to first get blood tests or an ECG to get a diagnosis, during which the patient loses precious time that can make all the difference between life and death.

In cases of heart attacks, “a few minutes or even a few extra seconds is going to give this person the care they need before it becomes worse,” noted Khalil. A wearable device like a phone or a watch, here, can reduce the diagnosis time, allowing patients to get faster treatment.

Besides detecting heart attacks in real-time, the team sees other healthcare applications for the device, which the team continues to develop. This includes seizures and dementia. “The detection of a disease or condition depends on the disease itself, but we’re working to find faster, more efficient ways of doing that,” said Khalil.

Click here to learn how AI-enhanced wearable tech may see integrations in cars, furniture, and even spacesuits.

Investing in the Medicle Wearables Industry

In the medical wearable space, many companies are making it easy for people to monitor their health in real time. However, tech giant Apple (AAPL -0.39%) offers wearable health devices and is already invested in AI to improve digital health. Hence, in the future, it could integrate AI-based ECG detection into its devices.

Apple Inc. (AAPL -0.39%) 

Apple is involved in wearable tech through its Apple Watch, which offers features to monitor health including heart health. The Apple Watch tunes into the wearer’s heart and sends notifications when something out of the ordinary occurs. 

It comes with an ECG app that can record your heartbeat and rhythm using the electrical heart sensor. You can then check the recording for AFib, a form of irregular rhythm. The ECG waveform and any symptoms are saved on the iPhone’s Health app, which can also be shared with the doctor.

Besides the smartwatch, the company has also been exploring smart glasses, smart rings, and AirPods with cameras.

Apple is a $3.2 trillion market cap behemoth whose shares, as of writing, are trading at $207.40, down almost 15% YTD. Its EPS (TTM) is 7.08, and the P/E (TTM) is 30.13. The dividend yield paid is 0.47%, which is planned for annual increases.

As for its financials, this week, Apple reported its fiscal 2025 second quarter ended March 29, 2025, results, which showed a 5% YoY increase in revenue to $95.4 billion and an 8% YoY spike in diluted earnings per share to $1.65. Sales in the wearables division, which includes Apple Watch, AirPods, and accessories, declined 5% to $7.52 billion in revenue.

CEO Tim Cook, meanwhile, reported a “limited impact” of tariffs on the company’s business during this period, thanks to supply chain optimization, but expects them to add $900 million to the company’s costs in the current quarter.

Latest on Apple Inc.

Conclusion

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading global killer, with obesity acting as a powerful contributor. With the rapid rise in the extreme forms of obesity, risks for heart attacks are further compounding, making both prevention and care more complex and costly. 

On top of it, the deadly aftermath of a heart attack creates a surge of secondary health issues, such as stroke and heart failure, making it urgent to find ways for early detection. In this critical scenario, AI is emerging as a game-changer, offering the ability to enhance diagnostics substantially, promising a healthier population.

Click here for a list of top wearable health tracking companies.