J&J partners with Apple for ECG monitoring project

Apple has a new big pharma partner to help put its new Apple Watch with the built-in electrocardiogram (ECG) through its paces, signing an alliance with Johnson & Johnson. The collaboration centers on seeing if the Apple Watch’s heart rate monitoring ECG functions can be used for earlier detection of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a heart condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate. While AFib typically causes warning symptoms such as dizziness and shortness of breath in around a third of cases it can go undiagnosed, putting people at risk of life-threatening complications such as a stroke. Having AFib gives a four- to fivefold increased risk of stroke, and it kills around 130,000 people in the US every year.
J&J and Apple want to see if the Apple Watch can be used alongside an app developed by the pharma company to “accelerate the diagnosis and improve health outcomes of the 33 million people worldwide” living with AFib. A multi-year research programme will be launched later this year in the US and will focus on individuals aged 65 or older. As well as looking at the device and the app’s impact on diagnosis, it will also assess adherence with medication for AFib.