Apple has informed some users that their participation in its Apple Watch Heart Study has come to an end. The notices were delivered to the users over the weekend.
The study began in November 2017, and was scheduled to run to January 1, 2019. An app notification thanked the affected users and asked them to complete an exit survey concerning the study.
The study in collaboration with Stanford Medicine was offered to anyone in the United States who was 22 years older with an iPhone 5s or later and an Apple Watch Series 1 or later. Atrial fibrillation, a common form of heart arrhythmia that is covered in the study, can indicate serious medical conditions like heart failure and stroke.
Participants downloaded and installed the Apple Heart Study app, and were required to wear their Apple Watch. If an irregular heart beat was detected, the user was offered a consultation with a Study Telehealth Provider from American Well, and may have been asked to wear a free ePatch monitor for up to seven days to all further investigation.
The study was closed to new participants at the beginning of August. The study is scheduled to run until January 1, 2019, but the end of participation by early entrants indicates the study might be winding down early.
