Heart-monitoring smartphone tech could save your life, research shows

Everyday smartphone and smartwatch technology looks closer than ever before to detecting heart attacks. Researchers have found that the AliveCor electrocardiogram app is nearly as reliable as professional machines at detecting heart attacks. Photo: Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute/dpa

Researchers have found that smartphones and smartwatches can be used to accurately detect if you're having a heart attack, proving that mobile technology could ultimately be life-saving for people with heart problems. 

For the study, researchers tested an app that uses a electrocardiograph (ECG) lead to monitor your heart rate, and found that it was almost as accurate at diagnosing a heart attack as the standard 12-lead ECG used by medical professionals.