Apple Watch and AirPods get sleep apnoea and hearing loss detection in India

Apple today announced that the Apple Watch would deliver sleep apnoea notifications and AirPods Pro would provide a clinically validated hearing test feature to users in India.

“Starting today, sleep apnoea notifications come to Apple Watch, adding to the many ways Apple Watch acts as an intelligent guardian for users’ health. Additionally, AirPods Pro 3 provide a clinically validated Hearing Test feature for users to test their hearing levels in the comfort of their own home,” the company noted.

Apple Watch will detect signs of sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea is a prevalent disorder in which breathing momentarily stops during sleep, preventing the body from getting enough oxygen, with the condition affecting more than 1 billion people worldwide, and in most cases, goes undiagnosed. Risks involved if left untreated are hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiac issues.

The sleep apnoea notification algorithm was developed using machine learning and an extensive data set of clinical-grade sleep apnoea tests. The feature was then validated in a clinical study. "In the clinical validation study, every participant identified by the algorithm had at least mild sleep apnoea," the company said.

Breathing Disturbances is a new Apple Watch metric that uses the accelerometer to detect small movements at the wrist associated with interruptions to normal respiratory patterns during sleep. Every 30 days, Apple Watch will analyse breathing disturbance data and notify users if it shows consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnoea so they can speak to their doctor about next steps, including potential diagnosis and treatment. 

The company said that users can export a PDF that shows when sleep apnoea may have occurred, three months of breathing disturbance data, and additional information to healthcare providers. Educational articles will also be made available within the Health app to help users learn more about the condition.

 Air Pods Pro to detect hearing loss

Apple is also introducing an intuitive, clinical-grade hearing test based on the standard clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry that users can take themselves with their AirPods Pro and a compatible iPhone or iPad.

The Hearing Test feature leverages acoustic science and provides users with an interactive experience. Users can take the test in five minutes, and after the completion, they will see an easy-to-understand summary of their results, including a number representing hearing loss in each ear, a classification, and recommendations. The results, which include an audiogram, are stored privately in the Health app, and can be shared with a healthcare provider to have more informed conversations.  

“At Apple, we believe technology should empower people to take control of their health, and that starts with giving users tools to detect conditions they may not even know they have,” said Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness. “From sleep apnoea notifications on Apple Watch to a hearing test with AirPods Pro, we’re excited to bring these meaningful capabilities to our users in India.”