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Thanks to the Apple Watch, time may be up for this silent killer

Apple wants to know if its Apple Watch can reduce the risk of stroke by detecting early signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib). To help find out, the company announced a partnership with Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday to conduct a three-year stroke study. 

Apple and Johnson & Johnson are seeking eligible adults in the U.S. ages 65 and older to participate in the study, called Heartline. Participants would download the Heartline Study app on their iPhones, along with an electrocardiogram (ECG) app, to see if the Apple Watch can successfully detect irregular heart rhythms. 

“Heartline is a study that has the potential to fundamentally change our understanding of how digital health tools, like the ECG app and irregular rhythm notification feature on Apple Watch, could lead to earlier detection of AFib, helping patients understand and directly engage in their heart health, prompting potentially lifesaving conversations with their doctors, and improving health outcomes,” said Dr. C. Michael Gibson, co-chair of the Heartline executive committee and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, in a press release. 

Andy Boxall/DigitalTrends

The goal of the study is to see if the Apple Watch can better detect early signs of AFib, which is the leading cause of stroke, but doesn’t always show symptoms. According to a 2017 study, 30% of people don’t know they have AFib until suffering a severe cardiovascular event, such as a stroke. 

Participants of the study will get heart health tips, as well as surveys and questionnaires to fill out, each week during the study. You’ll need an iPhone to participate, but you don’t need to own an Apple Watch. Apple will give participants a discount on the purchase of an Apple Watch or it can loan one out to those involved in the study. 

Apple also has other health studies in the works, including a hearing study that analyzes how daily sound exposure will impact your long-term hearing health. There’s also a women’s health study that looks at menstrual cycles and mensuration tracking, and a heart and movement study to better detect early signs of heart disease. 

More than 400,000 people participated in Apple’s original heart study that monitored irregular heart rates on the Apple Watch. The study was published in November in the New England Journal of Medicine and revealed that a little over 2,000 people received a notification about an irregular pulse. 

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Allison Matyus
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Allison Matyus is a general news reporter at Digital Trends. She covers any and all tech news, including issues around social…
The best Apple Watch Series 6 tips and tricks
Apple Watch Series 6

The combination of the Apple Watch Series 6 and WatchOS 8 software is powerful. The last generation Apple Watch comes with a variety of useful features that can help in your daily life -- if you know how to use them. We offer a list of our favorite tips and tricks for getting the most out of the Series 6 in conjunction with WatchOS 8.
Zoom in and out using the Digital Crown
The Apple Watch Series 6 lets you zoom in or zoom out to have a closer look at the contents of your watch face. To use it, open Settings and scroll down to Accessibility. Tap to open it, and you’ll see the Zoom control, which is off by default. Toggle the switch on to launch Zoom and then double-tap on the screen using two fingers to enable size adjustments with the Digital Crown. You can also use the settings to specify the maximum amount of zoom you want. To zoom out, double-tap on the screen using two fingers and it will return the screen to normal viewing.
Ring your iPhone
Where, oh where, is your iPhone? If it's in silent mode and you've misplaced it, you can use your Apple Watch Series 6 to ping it. Open the Control Center on your watch and tap on the iPhone button. Your iPhone will then make a loud dinging sound -- even if it is silent mode -- signaling precisely where it is located.
Use your watch as a camera remote
Open the Camera Remote app on your Apple Watch 6 to automatically launch the Camera app on your iPhone. Then tap the shutter button on your watch or use the timer to snap a picture.
Use the always-on display more effectively
The Apple Watch Series 6 has an always-on display, which allows it to show useful alerts and data without the need to activate or unlock. With Series 6, the always-on display is much brighter than previous models and incorporates direct control capabilities. You can tap for basic features  -- complications, notification center, and Control Center without unlocking the watch.
Activate Siri with wrist motion
Do you give Siri commands via the Apple Watch? The Series 6 has a super-handy intuitive feature for this -- simply lift your wrist at any time and say your Siri command -- no need to say “Hey Siri” first. The wrist motion automatically lets Siri know it’s all right to start listening, without unlocking the watch, so you can give immediate commands or ask quick questions.
Track blood oxygen levels
For the Series 6, Apple redesigned the way it measures certain health indicators and added the ability to measure your blood oxygen levels (or Sp02 data). You can find this option in the Health app under Respiratory information, or you can visit the dedicated Blood Oxygen app within the WatchOS. Your Watch also monitors background blood oxygen levels several times a day, which allows you to check how much oxygen your body is getting over time. While this shouldn’t be used to diagnose any specific condition, it can offer insight into overall respiratory health, which your doctor may be interested in checking, alongside other testing.
Use the improved altimeter
Apple redesigned the altimeter in the Series 6 to track your elevation and provide real-time elevation changes via a more powerful, accurate sensor. The tool is much more useful to hikers, climbers, skiers, and even surveyors for tracking real-time elevation changes, even if it’s just a foot or two of difference.
Control universal volume with the Digital Crown
Digital Crown is the fancy name for the large rotating dial on the side of the watch that you use to go to the home screen. On the Series 6, any time you are in Now Playing mode for any kind of audio, you can twist the crown to control the volume.
Theater mode controls screen brightness
If you are ever in a location where you need to lower the light or noise from your Apple Watch, the Control Panel now includes a Theater Mode option that enables your watch's silent mode. Activate it to keep the screen dark regardless of alerts or notifications. If your Apple Watch suddenly starts making noise or disrupting a meeting, just cover it with your palm. The Watch will sense this and automatically stop this action, leaving you to carry on in peace.
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Hand washing has become a critical health protector, and the Apple Watch Series 6, combined with the WatchOS 8, can play an important role. It uses the array of sensors to detect when you are washing your hands -- listening for running water and hand movements, for example -- that initiate a hidden 20-second timer for your handwashing action. If you stop before the 20 seconds are up, the watch sends a quick vibration to signal you to keep going. The 20-second goal is a guideline both the WHO and the CDC agree on.

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Since the Apple Watch was released in 2015, the smartwatch has gone through a number of makeovers and gained several new features. People love the Apple Watch for its durability, water resistance, and fitness-tracking abilities. Early versions of the watch could measure your activity levels, heart rate, and several other health metrics. Later versions even come with tools like ECGs (electrocardiograms) that can tell you when your heartbeat is abnormal and oximeters that can measure your blood oxygen levels.

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If you’re new to the Apple Watch and aren’t sure where to start, I’ve spent a little time building a core collection of bands that I find are suitable for all situations. If you do the same, get ready to change the band on your Apple Watch on a very regular basis. I assure you it's worth it.
A band apart
What’s wrong with the basic Apple Sport Band or Sport Loop that comes with most Apple Watch models? Absolutely nothing, and one of these bands is so good it makes it on to my essentials list. It’s limiting yourself just to this one band that I’m suggesting you avoid. Changing the band on the Apple Watch isn’t time-intensive, there’s no risk of losing bits when you take it apart, you don’t need any special tools, and the end result is a completely different look and feel on your wrist.

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