February 1, 2021
Keio University School of Medicine
Keio University Hospital
On February 1, Keio University Hospital began the Apple Watch Heart Study, a clinical study using Apple Watch (Principal Investigator: Masahiro Jinsaki, Vice Hospital Director; Operations Manager: Takehiro Kimura, Project Lecturer, Department of Cardiology).
This clinical study will analyze the relationship between pulse rate during sleep and at rest and lifestyle habits by analyzing various healthcare data, such as electrocardiograms (ECGs) measured with the Apple Watch and the ECG app and pulse rate, along with survey data on sleep, alcohol consumption, stress, and other factors collected via a proprietary research iPhone application. Furthermore, based on reports of palpitations, such as skipped or rapid heartbeats, made via the application, the study will analyze changes in ECG and healthcare data. While it is important to record an ECG when there is a cardiac abnormality, it is difficult to detect a disease if symptoms or abnormalities do not appear during the limited examination time at a hospital. This study is expected to clarify the optimal timing for accurately recording cardiac abnormalities at home using devices like the Apple Watch, which is anticipated to lead to the early detection of diseases.
Participants eligible for this clinical study are individuals who can download the research application "Heart Study AW" from the App Store using an iPhone (iOS 14.0 or later) and an Apple Watch (watchOS 7.0 or later), can wear an Apple Watch for seven days during sleep and answer questionnaires, are Japanese citizens aged 20 or older who can understand Japanese, and consent to participate in this study.
The construction of a nationwide Apple Watch healthcare big data set and its comprehensive medical analysis is an unprecedented endeavor. It is expected to contribute to the future integration of digital healthcare at home with appropriate medical care. Please note that this clinical study is conducted by Keio University Hospital, and Apple is not involved in it as a joint research partner or in any other capacity.
For the full press release, please see below.