Apple promotes Heart Month with fresh study data & services

by Jonny Evans · January 31, 2022

Apple’s heart icons seem pretty cute

Apple will focus on heart health in a series of service tweaks and additions to mark the US Heart Month. The company continues to explore how augmented health devices, such as those it provides, may help improve lifestyle choices to promote overall healthiness.

Apple stays focused on heart

It’s no surprise the company is focused on heart health.

We all know by now that numerous lives have been saved thanks to early intervention from Apple Watch, which has turned out to be an excellent tool to protect such health.

That’s also why there should be lots of attention paid to news that the Apple Heart and Movement Study is sharing preliminary lifestyle trends analyzed over the past year. This data may be of enough consequence that it changes some approaches to heart health, including encouraging people to use the watch to boost cardio fitness.

“We’re strong believers at Apple that if you can empower people with information about their health, you can change the trajectory of their well-being,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.

“Keeping your heart healthy requires a holistic approach – something we’ve focused on since the first generation of Apple Watch with the inclusion of activity and workout apps, in addition to heart rate. Today, people of all ages can use our products and services to learn more about staying healthy, work toward their personal goals, and have a lot of fun along the way.”

Heart and Movement Study shares early insights

The top line revelation from the study shows that those who did take part in that study most relied on walking, running and cycling as ways to boost their cardiovascular activity.

They also found that participants ages 65 and older were actually more likely than their younger counterparts to stay on track, meeting their goal of at least 150 minutes of activity per week.

[Also read: The essential guide to Heart Rate Variability on Apple Watch]

Across genders and ages, participants with above-average Cardio Fitness levels averaged more than 200 minutes of activity per week, while those with high Cardio Fitness averaged more than 300 minutes of activity per week.

Large Apple study will yield big data

Calum MacRae, MD, PhD, principal investigator of the Apple Heart and Movement Study, cardiologist, and professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, said:

“Much of what we know about activity and cardiovascular fitness is based on small studies with limited metrics and few data on trends over time. The Apple Heart and Movement Study is collecting ongoing detailed information on activity and health from a large number of participants using Apple Watch, which offers researchers an ongoing estimation of Cardio Fitness, an established measurement of cardiovascular fitness. Through this study, we’re able to analyze the interaction between activity and Cardio Fitness and follow trends in ways that were not previously possible. We anticipate that exploring physiology at this scale with such a rich research data set will shed light on wellness and maintaining health.”

People can learn more about the Apple Heart and Movement Study by downloading the Research app from the App Store. Apple is also collaborating with additional research institutions to conduct heart health studies to explore how Apple Watch can help drive even greater scientific discoveries.

Heart-focused services plans

So, what’s Apple got to offer us in its services? Marking Heart Month, Apple is offering custom compilations across Apple Fitness+, the App Store, the Apple TV app, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Books.

Apple Watch:

A new Heart Month Activity Challenge on Apple Watch challenges us to complete 30 minutes in their Exercise ring on February 14 to earn a special award. Customers looking to upgrade their Apple Watch in February will be provided with extra savings in select countries on Apple Watch trade-ins.

Fitness+:

The service will feature a special section of 30-minute energizing workouts that will motivate users to get their weekly minutes of exercise. Also on Feb. 14 it will also feature an inspiring episode of Time to Walk with former martial arts champion, Georges St-Pierre.