Apple Watch's heart tracker - boon and bane

Problems can be flagged, but false signals can prompt unnecessary anxiety, medical visits

Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams (left), in presenting the new Apple Watch Series 4 (above) in California last week, said: "The Apple Watch has become the intelligent guardian for your health." The United States Food and Drug Administratio
Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams (above), in presenting the new Apple Watch Series 4 in California last week, said: "The Apple Watch has become the intelligent guardian for your health." The United States Food and Drug Administration has cleared Apple's device as a Class II medical device, meaning that it is intended to diagnose or treat a medical condition and poses minimal risk to use. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, EPA-EFE
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The newest Apple Watch can now flag potential problems with your heartbeat - a feature that has been cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and that Apple is marking as a major achievement.

But some doctors say including heart-monitoring tools in such a popular consumer product could prompt unnecessary anxiety and medical visits.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 18, 2018, with the headline Apple Watch's heart tracker - boon and bane. Subscribe