Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 and Ultra 2 To Detect Sleep Apnea
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the sleep apnea detection feature for Apple Watches. This means that the feature will be available to Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 owners in the U.S. later this month. Availability in other regions has not yet been announced.
A new metric called Breathing Disorders uses the built-in accelerometer to detect small movements on the wrist. These specific wrist movements are associated with abnormal breathing patterns during sleep. The Apple Watch collects data for 30 days and then analyzes it. If there are persistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, the user will receive an alert. In the Breathing Disorders section of the native Health app, users can track elevated or non-elevated values. This data can also be shared with a doctor to inform the next steps in diagnosing and treating sleep apnea.
For example, in the United States, patients undergo sleep apnea testing at home or in a hospital where they are monitored overnight. Depending on the patient’s insurance, the average cost for such a hospital test in 2022 was $3,000.
Insurance companies are unlikely to start paying for treatment based on smartwatch readings alone, so users will likely still have to see a doctor to confirm a diagnosis.
