Apple has recently teamed up with Johnson & Johnson and Best Buy for a new health study. Three giant firms have come together for a health study called ‘Heartline’ to detect an early warning sign of strokes. The study will test the ability of the Apple Watch for detecting atrial fibrillation. It will help detect irregular heartbeats early in an attempt to reduce the risk of stroke. This study will continue for three years. It is supposed to be one of the largest digital health studies conducted so far. In this study, the participants will be given Apple watch series 5 at just $49, which is a huge discount as compared to the normal $400 price. There will be only one condition that these participants need to be 65 years old or above.

The study will recruit 150000 participants and half of them will be qualified to buy an Apple Watch Series 5 at just $49 from Best Buy. The officials have informed that people who already own an Apply can also participate in the study. Some of the participants might be able to get compensation of up to $150 for taking part in the research. Apart from age criteria, there are other parameters to be considered to take part in this study ‘Heartline’. The participants need to be US residents along with Medicare coverage. Only those participants who own an iPhone 6 or newer version with iOS 12.2 or higher can take part in the study. There is no need for AFib diagnosis to qualify for the study.

Past incidents have established that Apple Watches are quite good at identifying users’ irregular heartbeats. With this study, Apple wants to establish a reputation as a creator of health tech. People who want to participate in the study can apply online. However, not everybody, who applies will be selected for the study. Participants need to wear their Apple watch every day for the duration of two years if it is required to use one as part of the research.