Apple has announced its most wide-ranging health study yet, partnering with Hardvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital on a five-year project using data from the Apple Watch, AirPods, and iPhone.
In contrast to some prior health studies by the brand that concentrated on specific areas, the latest ‘Apple Health Study’—as its name implies—takes a bit of a broader approach.
Apple plans to utilize participant data to investigate multiple areas of physical and mental wellbeing. Users will also be requested to fill out surveys in the Apple Research app concerning activity, aging, cardiovascular health, cognition, and sleep.
Dr. Calum MacRae, a professor at Harvard Medical School participating in the study, has stated in Apple’s announcement post it may reveal links between different health factors, such as the impact of mental health on heart rate or the effect of sleep on exercise.
With the overall goal of using Apple devices and data to predict, detect, monitor, and manage changes in participants’ health, it’s not a stretch to imagine that the findings will help shape future health features in the Apple Watch.
The Apple AirPods, as we’ve seen with the 2024 Hearing Study and the release of heart rate monitoring Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, may also be well-positioned for health innovation based on this research.
This kind of direct correlation between research and consumer devices isn’t typical. However, as we say, this isn’t Apple’s first venture into health research. In addition to the recent Hearing Study, the long-running Heart & Movement Study is set to conclude after five years of runtime.
As with all significant research from Apple, we will monitor the results of this one in the coming years. It will take considerable time before any findings emerge; however, it is entirely feasible that, based on previous research, it could help define health features for the next decade in wearables.
