Screening OSA in Chinese Smart Device Consumers: A Real-World Arrhythmia-Related Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sleep Medicine
• Digital Health

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a critical condition linked to cardiovascular diseases, necessitating early detection.
• Photoplethysmography (PPG) smartwatch algorithms have shown promise for OSA risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize OSA features and assess arrhythmia risk in Chinese smart wearable device (SWD) consumers.
• To evaluate the real-world effectiveness of SWDs for OSA screening and associated cardiovascular risks.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale screening of SWD consumers across China (December 2019–January 2022) using HUAWEI devices for OSA risk.
• Confirmation of OSA diagnosis through telecare follow-ups, including clinical evaluations and sleep test records.
• Analysis of disease characteristics and arrhythmia risks in the screened population.

Main Results:

• Out of 1,056,494 participants, SWDs identified 19,563 at high risk for OSA, with 1054 confirmed cases.
• Confirmed OSA patients exhibited high prevalence of obesity (46.8%), hypertension (19.8%), and arrhythmia (17.17%).
• SWDs detected abnormal heart rhythms in 95.9% of confirmed OSA cases; age and hypertension were independent predictors of arrhythmia risk.

Conclusions:

• PPG-based SWDs are effective for large-scale OSA screening, identifying individuals with elevated arrhythmia risks.
• These findings support the utility of SWDs in managing cardiovascular risks associated with OSA.