Apple and Stanford University use the Apple Watch to study irregular heart rhythms

Apple, together with Stanford University, has just launched an app designed to collect irregular heart rhythm using the Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor. It’s part of the company’s Heart Study initiative the company announced back in September when it launched watchOS 4. The app, called Apple Heart Study, can detect irregular heart rates using existing Apple Watch tech. It makes use of green LED lights that flash hundreds of times per second as well as photodiodes that detect how much blood is flowing through the wrists. If it senses irregularities, it’ll send notifications to the user telling them they might be suffering from atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Launched in the US, those who choose to participate in the study are provided a free consultation with a study doctor and an electrocardiogram (EKG) patch for further observation. Apple is opening the study to users who are 22 years old or older with an Apple Watch Series 1 or later.

Source: The Verge