Apple announces medical studies using new Research app

Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) said yesterday that it is launching medical studies into women’s health, hearing, and heart function and movement with its new Research app.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company said the app will show how medical research is conducted and allow participants to contribute to potential medical discoveries. The Research app will be available as a free download later this year for the Apple watch and iPhone.

Apple’s women’s health study will focus on menstrual cycles and gynecological conditions, informing screening and risk assessment of conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), infertility, osteoporosis, pregnancy and menopausal transition.

The hearing study will collect data over time to examine how everyday sound exposure can affect hearing.

For its heart and movement study, Apple said it will follow heart rate and mobility signals to see how they relate to hospitalizations, falls, heart health and quality of life.

Apple’s foray into medical research began with its ResearchKit and CareKit in 2015 to study healthcare. The company used the ResearchKit to launch the Apple Heart Study, which showed that the Apple Watch is capable of aiding in the detection of atrial fibrillation using its light-sensor based technology, according to results released in March of this year.

“With the Apple Heart Study, we found that we could positively impact medical research in ways that help patients today and that make contributions that will benefit future generations,” Apple COO Jeff Williams said in the release. “Today’s announcement carries our commitment to health even further by engaging with participants on a larger scale than ever before.”

Apple plans to collaborate on the studies with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the American Heart Association, the University of Michigan and the World Health Organization.

Shares of AAPL were up +0.03% at $223.67 per share in early-morning trading.