Wearables and Atrial Fibrillation: Advances in Detection, Clinical Impact, Ethical Concerns, and Future Perspectives.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and mortality. Early diagnosis and management are crucial to mitigating these risks. Wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness bands, enhanced by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, offer a promising solution for early AF detection due to their accessibility, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. Although the ability of these algorithms to identify AF has been authorized, critical questions remain about their integration into clinical practice, ethical implications, and long-term benefits. This review uniquely explores the intersection of wearable technology and AF management, providing a detailed analysis of current evidence, emerging trends, and the challenges associated with these innovations.
Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
(Copyright © 2025, Francisco et al.)