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Person wearing a smart watch. -- first opinion coverage from STAT — Adobe

The Apple Watch has secured a new qualification from the Food and Drug Administration that could make the smartwatch an appealing tool for medical device companies hoping to illustrate the benefits of a common heart procedure.

Last week, the Apple Watch’s Atrial Fibrillation History feature became the first digital tool qualified under the Medical Device Development Tools (MDDT) program. Released in 2022, the feature estimates a user’s A-fib burden, or how much time they spend in atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heart rhythm that can cause shortness of breath and fatigue, and is also linked to an increased risk of stroke.

The qualification means that FDA has determined in advance that sponsors can use the feature as a secondary endpoint in clinical trials without having to do additional work. Specifically, the Apple Watch is qualified for use as a secondary endpoint in clinical trials for cardiac ablation devices, which reduce the electrical signals that cause A-fib by scarring the heart with extreme heat or cold energy. Pulsed field ablation is the latest version of the technology, using a controlled electric field to scar tissue rather than the riskier thermal energy.

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