Open AccessAnalyzability of Photoplethysmographic Smartwatch Data by the Preventicus Heartbeats Algorithm During Everyday Life: Feasibility Study
Author(s) -
Steve Merschel,
Lars Reinhardt
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
jmir formative research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2561-326X
DOI - 10.2196/29479
Subject(s) - photoplethysmogram , smartwatch , medicine , accelerometer , univariate analysis , heart rate , physical medicine and rehabilitation , computer science , wearable computer , multivariate analysis , telecommunications , blood pressure , embedded system , operating system , wireless
Background Continuous heart rate monitoring via mobile health technologies based on photoplethysmography (PPG) has great potential for the early detection of sustained cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation. However, PPG measurements are impaired by motion artifacts. Objective The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the analyzability of smartwatch-derived PPG data during everyday life and to determine the relationship between the analyzability of the data and the activity level of the participant. Methods A total of 41 (19 female and 22 male) adults in good cardiovascular health (aged 19-79 years) continuously wore a smartwatch equipped with a PPG sensor and a 3D accelerometer (Cardio Watch 287, Corsano Health BV) for a period of 24 hours that represented their individual daily routine. For each participant, smartwatch data were analyzed on a 1-minute basis by an algorithm designed for heart rhythm analysis (Preventicus Heartbeats, Preventicus GmbH). As outcomes, the percentage of analyzable data (PAD) and the mean acceleration (ACC) were calculated. To map changes of the ACC and PAD over the course of one day, the 24-hour period was divided into 8 subintervals comprising 3 hours each. Results Univariate analysis of variance showed a large effect (ηp2> 0.6; P 94%) and the lowest for the ACC (<6×10-3 m/s2). Regardless of the time of the day, the correlation between the PAD and ACC was strong (r=–0.64). A linear regression analysis for the averaged data resulted in an almost perfect coefficient of determination (r2=0.99). Conclusions This study showed a large relationship between the activity level and the analyzability of smartwatch-derived PPG data. Given the high yield of analyzable data during the nighttime, continuous arrhythmia screening seems particularly effective during sleep phases.