The FDA Approved Apple’s Sleep Apnea Detection Feature

Apple’s sleep apnea feature was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on Monday, September 16. The sleep apnea feature comes through a software update on Apple’s Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2.

According to CNBC, the FDA approved Apple sleep apnea feature is one of Apple’s moves to position its wearable products as simple and cheaper alternatives to existing healthcare devices.

Diagnosis Challenge

Sleep apnea affects about 30 million people across the US. However, statistics from the American Medical Association show that only 6 million of those affected have been diagnosed with the condition.

To get a diagnosis, sleep apnea patients must take home or in-lab tests that require overnight monitoring to get a diagnosis. A 2022 study showed that the average cost of an in-lab test is about $3,000. Although at-home tests may be less costly, patients would still part with hundreds of dollars.

Apple’s Series 10 Watch makes it easier for patients who have not been tested to identify signs of sleep apnea.

“We are so excited about the incredible impact this feature can make for the millions of people living with undiagnosed sleep apnea,” Apple’s VP of Health, Dr. Sumbul Desai said.

The FDA approved Apple sleep track feature will particularly be useful to patients who stay alone. Sleep apnea causes breathing to stop and start repeatedly throughout the night. When left untreated, the sleep disorder can cause fatigue and other health complications like hypertension, heart problems, and Type 2 diabetes.

Apple’s Sleep Apnea Data

Doctors say that data from Apple Watch Series 10 should be treated with caution. According to Missouri-based physician, Dr. David Kuhlmann, insurance companies are less likely to pay for sleep apnea therapies such as CPAP based on data from FDA approved Apple’s sleep apnea detection feature.

Apple Watch Series 10 users will have to get official diagnosis from healthcare providers to access therapy. This will increase the number of patients who visit healthcare providers. The visits will help to reduce the overall cost of healthcare in the US as early detection of the condition can prevent the costly treatment associated with serious conditions.

“By finding out that they have these underlying sleep disorders and getting them treated, it could potentially actually help save expenses and help improve quality of life,” Kuhlmann said.

Apple’s New Products

Apple Watch Series 10 is among the new Apple Intelligence products the tech giant launched last week. Designed to support user health, the new Watch lineup will be available starting Friday, September 20.

“Around the world, Apple Watch has had an immeasurable positive impact on people by helping them stay healthy, active, safe, and connected to the things that matter to them, and it’s helped save countless lives along the way,” Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams said.

Apple’s sleep apnea detection feature analyzes breathing during sleep and uses an accelerometer to identify disturbances. The accelerometer measures wrist movements that point to disruptions to normal breathing patterns. Apple Watches generate metrics that classify breathing as either elevated or not elevated.

Users can access their metrics on the Health app. The devices analyze breathing disturbance data once each month and notify users of consistent signs of moderate or severe sleep apnea. Apple used extensive data on clinical-grade sleep apnea tests to develop the notification algorithm used in its Watch Series 10.