Apple Watch’s new sleep apnoea detection feature wins ResMed’s backing

Health device manufacturer ResMed says Apple’s foray into sleep apnoea detection – via an update to its smart watches – will help save lives.

ASX-listed sleep apnoea titan ResMed has welcomed Apple muscling in on its turf, saying it will help prevent more people from ‘suffocating in their sleep’.

Apple unveiled updates to its smart watches – including a new sleep apnoea detection feature – at ‘It’s Glowtime’ event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California this week.

ResMed – which is also listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a market value of $US36.7bn ($55.14bn) – said the disorder affects about one in five Australians, with about 80 per cent undiagnosed.

The condition causes people to stop breathing repeatedly.

ResMed chief executive Mick Farrell prefers to call it “sleep suffocation” and has said it was not just affecting “middle-aged men who were snoring” but increasingly young people, including women, who have the “less obvious symptom of snoring”.

ResMed chief executive Mick Farrell calls sleep apnoea ‘sleep suffocation’. Picture: Hollie Adams

ResMed chief medical officer Carlos Nunez said smart watches will play an increasing role increasing awareness about the condition, helping save lives.

“A lack of awareness around sleep apnoea has contributed to millions of people worldwide losing quality rest, which in turn, can negatively impact their quality of life,” Dr Nunez said.

“Smart watches can play an important role in helping to increase sleep health quality for people, including those suffering from undiagnosed conditions like sleep apnoea.

“We are excited to see this news from Apple … and encouraged by the increased focus from technology companies on creating capabilities that not only track a person’s sleep but help identify signs and symptoms that could be tied to more serious health issues.”

Apple Watch can now detect sleep apnoea, a condition that causes people to potentially suffocate in their sleep.

Dr Nunez said being able to detect potential sleep apnoea via a smart watch will help prompt people to have discussions with their doctor about treatment options.

This is expected to bode well for sufferers, as well as ResMed, which makes devices, including CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines and masks, to treat the condition and generated $4.7bn in revenue last year – a 11 per cent jump on 2023.

Sumbul Desai, vice president of health at Apple, said if left untreated, sleep apnoea can have “significant consequences”, including increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cardiac issues.

“(It is) a major health condition that impacts over a billion people worldwide,” Dr Desai said.

“Sleep plays such a vital role in our overall health and well being, and people with sleep apnoea can experience excessive daytime tiredness, have difficulties concentrating and be more irritable.

“But one of the biggest challenges is that 80 per cent of people with sleep apnoea are undiagnosed, so they don’t know they have the condition to detect sleep apnoea.”

Apple vice president of health Sumbul Desai.

Dr Desai said Apple Watch uses an accelerometer – a device that measures acceleration – to detect small movements on a wrist associated with interruptions to normal respiratory patterns during sleep.

“The detection algorithm was developed using advanced machine learning with an extensive data set of clinical grade sleep apnoea tests; it was then validated in a clinical study unprecedented in size for sleep apnoea technology,” she said.

Dr Desai said Apple expected clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration soon, as well as other regulators, with “availability in 150 countries and regions this month, including the US, Europe and Japan.”

“You can view your nightly values in the health app, which can also help you understand the restfulness of your sleep. Every 30 days, Apple Watch will analyse your breathing disturbance data and notify you if it shows consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnoea.”

The feature will be available on Apple Watch Series 10 as well as it Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches.

Apple has been expanding deeper into the health tracking market, with its watches able to perform heart rate monitoring and an ECG as well as detect atrial fibrillation. It has also built in a fall detection feature that can automatically call an ambulance and alert a family member or friend – even if the user is unconscious and doesn’t have a phone.

Apple Watch's fall detection feature can call an ambulance even if you're unconscious or don't have a phone.

Dr Desai said Apple Watch could also measure wrist temperature for ovulation tracking.

In addition to updates to its watches, Apple also introduced new health features to its AirPods, which effectively turns the earphones into a hearing aid. Coupled with an iPhone, the AirPods can also perform a “clinical validated” hearing test in five minutes.

Dr Desai said, like sleep apnoea, hearing loss can also have significant consequences.

“Hearing is an essential part of how so many of us communicate and experience the people and the world around us, but hearing loss can significantly affect these important experiences and relationships, impacting your quality of life.

“The World Health Organisation estimates that more than 1.5 billion people are living with hearing loss. If left unaddressed, this can affect your short and long term health, including increased risk of cognitive decline, falls and social isolation, which contributes to depression, and all of these factors can impact your longevity as well.

“Over the last several years, we’ve developed important building blocks in this space with the noise app on Apple Watch, headphone audio exposure on iPhone, and the Apple Hearing Study. With over 160,000 participants, it’s one of the largest studies of its kind.

“Through this work, we’ve gained deeper insights into the issues surrounding hearing health, which inspired us to do even more.”

The Apple Watch Series 10 also offers faster charging. Apple said 15 minutes of charging provides up to eight hours of normal use, while 30 minutes provides up to 80 per cent of its battery life.

The author travelled to Cupertino as a guest of Apple.

Originally published as Apple Watch’s new sleep apnoea detection feature wins ResMed’s backing