Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41208416›Full record

ArticleEuropace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology2026

Wearable smartwatches for atrial fibrillation detection and burden estimation after ablation: comparison with continuous monitoring.

Martin Aguilar, Laurent Macle, Ralph Chamieh, Paul Khairy, Marc W Deyell, Richard G Bennett, Jason G Andrade

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Martin AguilarMontreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 5000 Rue Bélanger, Montréal, QC, Canada H1T 1C8.
Laurent MacleMontreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 5000 Rue Bélanger, Montréal, QC, Canada H1T 1C8.ORCID 0000-0002-3328-5239
Ralph ChamiehMontreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 5000 Rue Bélanger, Montréal, QC, Canada H1T 1C8.
Paul KhairyMontreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 5000 Rue Bélanger, Montréal, QC, Canada H1T 1C8.ORCID 0000-0003-4059-3800
Marc W DeyellDepartment of Medicine, Dilawri Cardiovascular Institute, 2775 Laurel St Vancouver, Canada BC V5Z 1M9.ORCID 0000-0001-8434-7076
Richard G BennettDepartment of Medicine, Dilawri Cardiovascular Institute, 2775 Laurel St Vancouver, Canada BC V5Z 1M9.ORCID 0000-0001-9823-3993
Jason G AndradeMontreal Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 5000 Rue Bélanger, Montréal, QC, Canada H1T 1C8.ORCID 0000-0002-8493-5123

Funding

André Chagnon Research Chair in ElectrophysiologyCongenital Heart Disease
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsWearable ECG-enabled smartwatches have been validated for atrial fibrillation (AF) screening, but their accuracy for monitoring AF recurrence and quantifying AF burden after catheter ablation is uncertain. To evaluate the simulated performance of three commercial smartwatch algorithms for AF recurrence detection and AF burden estimation compared with implantable cardiac monitors (ICMs). METHODS AND

resultsUsing continuous ICM data from 346 patients in the CIRCA-DOSE trial, we simulated three smartwatch algorithms, assuming daytime wear (8:00 AM-10:00 p.m.). We also simulated commonly-used non-invasive intermittent rhythm monitoring strategies. Primary endpoints were sensitivity for arrhythmia recurrence and correlation with ICM-derived AF burden. Analyses were stratified by daily wear time and patient activity. AF recurrence occurred in 47.1% of patients. Simulated detection sensitivities were 82.2% (Apple Watch AF Burden), 70.6% (Apple Watch IRN), and 64.4% (Fitbit IHRD), compared with 15.8-64.6% for simulated intermittent AECG monitors. Wearables outperformed commonly-used Holter/patch monitoring strategies. AF burden correlation with ICM exceeded r = 0.97 for all algorithms. Among missed recurrences, median AF burden was <0.02%. Longer daily wear improved sensitivity (>90% with 24-hour use), whereas patient activity modestly reduced detection.

conclusionSmartwatch-based AF detection algorithms demonstrate strong correlation with ICM-derived AF burden and clinically good sensitivity for recurrence detection, outperforming conventional non-invasive strategies. These findings support the integration of wearables as a scalable alternative for post-ablation rhythm monitoring.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationCatheter AblationElectrocardiography, AmbulatoryWearable Electronic DevicesAction PotentialsAgedAlgorithmsDigital HealthEquipment DesignFemaleHeart RateHumansMaleMiddle AgedPredictive Value of TestsRecurrenceAF burdenAtrial fibrillationCatheter ablationImplantable cardiac monitorWearables

Identifiers

PMID41208416
PMCPMC13564214

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.