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Seniors who are selected to
participate in a new health study will be able to buy an Apple Watch for $49 at
Best Buy.
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The study, organized by Apple and
Johnson & Johnson, hopes to find out whether Apple Watches can reduce the
risk of stroke and detect atrial fibrillation early.
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It's one of the largest randomized
digital-health studies ever. Open enrollment began Tuesday.
Apple is teaming up
with Johnson & Johnson and Best Buy to recruit volunteers for a new
randomized digital-health study.
The three giants of
tech, pharma, and retail are partnering for Heartline, a study that hopes to determine
whether Apple Watches can detect irregular heart rhythm early to reduce the
likelihood of a stroke. Heartline will last three years and be one of the
largest digital-health studies ever, according to CNBC.
Prior research has
already indicated that Apple Watches can spot irregular heartbeats early. A
study published in
November suggested that Apple Watches are good at detecting
atrial fibrillation, but most of its participants did not complete the study.
With the new study,
Apple hopes to cement its reputation as a maker of effective health technology
— CEO Tim Cook said last year he believed Apple's "greatest contribution
to mankind" would be in healthcare.
"Apple
technology is making a meaningful impact on scientific research through the
powerful capabilities of iPhone and Apple Watch, all with privacy at the center
of the participant experience," Myoung Cha, Apple's head of health
strategic initiatives, said in a statement.
The study is not
limited to people with or without an Apple Watch — people who already own one
can use their own, or participants can opt to borrow an Apple Watch for the
duration of the study rather than buy a discounted one.
Here are the details
of the study and how to enroll.
The Heartline
study hopes to recruit 150,000 people, making it one of the largest of its
kind.
Anyone who is
over the age of 65, covered by Medicare, and has an iPhone 6 or newer is
eligible.
People
selected for the study will be sorted into two groups: Half will be instructed
to use the new Heartline app with health tips, while the rest will use both the
app and an Apple Watch with the capacity to detect heartbeat irregularities.
Those selected
to use an Apple Watch will be eligible to buy one for $49 plus tax at Best Buy,
a steep discount on the $399 Apple Watch Series 5.
Participants can opt
to borrow an Apple Watch for the duration of the study rather than buy one.
Open
enrollment for the study began on Tuesday, and sign-up instructions can be
found on Heartline's website.
Eligible people can
sign up for the study here.
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