Some seniors who qualify for a new Apple heart study will be able to buy $49 Apple Watches — here's how to sign up

• Seniors who are selected to participate in a new health study will be able to buy an Apple Watch for $49 at Best Buy.
• The study, organized by Apple and Johnson & Johnson, hopes to find out whether Apple Watches can reduce the risk of stroke and detect atrial fibrillation early.
• It's one of the largest randomized digital-health studies ever. Open enrollment began Tuesday.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

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Apple is teaming up with Johnson & Johnson and Best Buy to recruit volunteers for a new randomized digital-health study.

The three giants of tech, pharma, and retail are partnering for Heartline, a study that hopes to determine whether Apple Watches can detect irregular heart rhythm early to reduce the likelihood of a stroke. Heartline will last three years and be one of the largest digital-health studies ever, according to CNBC.

Prior research has already indicated that Apple Watches can spot irregular heartbeats early. A study published in November suggested that Apple Watches are good at detecting atrial fibrillation, but most of its participants did not complete the study.

With the new study, Apple hopes to cement its reputation as a maker of effective health technology — CEO Tim Cook said last year he believed Apple's "greatest contribution to mankind" would be in healthcare.

"Apple technology is making a meaningful impact on scientific research through the powerful capabilities of iPhone and Apple Watch, all with privacy at the center of the participant experience," Myoung Cha, Apple's head of health strategic initiatives, said in a statement.

The study is not limited to people with or without an Apple Watch — people who already own one can use their own, or participants can opt to borrow an Apple Watch for the duration of the study rather than buy a discounted one.

Here are the details of the study and how to enroll.