February 12, 2025
UPDATE: New Comprehensive Apple Health Study Launches Today in the Research App
Apple is proud to announce the launch of the Apple Health Study, a significant initiative aimed at exploring how technology—including iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods—can enhance our understanding and management of physical and mental health. This study, available in the Research app, partners with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a prominent research institution affiliated with Harvard Medical School, and focuses on the multifaceted relationships between various health aspects, such as the correlation between mental well-being and heart rate or the effects of sleep patterns on physical activity.
Dr. Calum MacRae, a cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, emphasizes the potential of technology in advancing health knowledge: “We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of how technology can improve our understanding of human health. We are excited to be part of the Apple Health Study, as it will continue to explore connections across different areas of health using technology that so many people carry with them every day.”
Traditionally, medical research faces constraints such as participant recruitment and data collection limits, but Apple devices offer new opportunities to overcome these challenges. The Apple Health Study builds upon findings from previous research efforts, including the Apple Women’s Health Study, the Apple Hearing Study, and the Apple Heart and Movement Study, which collectively involved over 350,000 participants across the United States.
This longitudinal and virtual study aims to leverage data from both Apple and third-party devices to predict, detect, monitor, and manage health changes. Researchers will investigate a wide range of health issues, including cardiovascular health, cognitive function, hearing, menstrual health, mental well-being, metabolic health, mobility, respiratory health, sleep, and more.
Dr. Sumbul Desai, Apple’s Vice President of Health, highlights the significance of research: “Research and validation are foundational to all our health initiatives, enabling us to deliver innovative features across our devices. Insights gained from the Research app have led to new tools — such as the Vitals app on Apple Watch and Walking Steadiness on iPhone — and have empowered us to explore vital areas of health that have been overlooked, including menstrual and hearing health. We’re excited to advance our understanding of health and technology through the Apple Health Study.”
The Apple Health Study aims to track changes in health and how technology can help detect these shifts for future advancements. By identifying changes early, such as a decline in hearing health, interventions can be made that may help prevent broader impacts, like cognitive decline.
Enrollment for the Apple Health Study is now open via the Research app for U.S. residents who meet the minimum age requirements and complete the informed consent process. The Research app revolutionizes medical research by connecting academic institutions and healthcare organizations with everyday Apple product users. Participation is voluntary, with participants having full control over their data sharing and the ability to opt-out at any time. Apple respects participant privacy and does not access personally identifiable information.
- The Apple Health Study can be accessed in version 6.0 of the Research app, compatible with iPhone models running iOS 16 or later.
Press Contacts:
Zaina Khachadourian
Apple
zkhachadourian@apple.com
Apple Media Helpline
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