Apple publishes more research insights for women’s health

Apple has published additional findings that will be of great importance to most women as they identify significant links between menstrual cycles and female health.

More insights in an under explored topic

The Apple Women’s Health Study is a first-of-its-kind research study conducted with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

Two big insights gathered through preliminary analysis of over 50,000 study participants, found some significant relationships between persistently abnormal periods, PCOS, and endometrial hyperplasia and cancer.

• 12 percent of participants reported a PCOS diagnosis. Participants with PCOS had more than four times the risk of endometrial hyperplasia (precancer of the uterus) and more than 2.5 times the risk of uterine cancer.
• 5.7 percent of participants reported their cycles taking five or more years to reach cycle regularity after their first period. Participants in that group had more than twice the risk of endometrial hyperplasia and more than 3.5 times the risk of uterine cancer, compared to those who reported their cycles took less than one year to reach regularity.

Seek assistance fast

These updates are a first step for helping people understand risk factors for these diseases and should encourage people to speak with healthcare providers if they encounter cycle irregularity.

“More awareness on menstrual cycle physiology and the impact of irregular periods and PCOS on uterine health is needed,” said Dr. Shruthi Mahalingaiah, MS, Harvard Chan School’s assistant professor of Environmental Reproductive and Women’s Health and co-principal investigator of the Apple Women’s Health Study.

“This analysis highlights the importance of talking to a healthcare provider when menstruators are experiencing persistent changes to their period that span many months. Over time, we hope our research can lead to new strategies to reduce disease risk and improve health across the lifespan.”

Previous insights

The Apple Women’s Health Study team has previously shared a number of other interim research findings:

• Research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology focused on cycle deviations, like irregular or prolonged periods. The study found cycle deviations in 16.4 percent of the study population. Black participants had a 33 percent higher prevalence of infrequent periods compared to white, non-Hispanic participants, while Asian participants had a higher prevalence of irregular periods.

• The research has confirmed the most frequently tracked symptoms were abdominal cramps, bloating, and tiredness, all of which were experienced by more than 60 percent of participants. More than half of the participants who logged symptoms reported acne and headaches. Some less widely recognized symptoms, like diarrhea and sleep changes, were also tracked by 37 percent of participants logging symptoms.

• Based on analysis of over 125,000 menstrual cycles, researchers found that participants experienced slightly longer menstrual cycles for cycles in which they received a COVID-19 vaccine, but participants’ cycles typically returned to pre-vaccination lengths the cycle after getting a vaccine.

The Apple Women’s Health Study invites anyone who has ever menstruated across the US to contribute to scientific research by enrolling via the Apple Research app.

The study enables participants to share their cycle tracking data, along with other health data from iPhone, and Apple Watch if they have one. Cycle Tracking is available in the Health app on iPhone or the Cycle Tracking app on Apple Watch.

In slightly related news, leading Apple MDM service provider Jamf announced that it is managing 500 Butterfly iQ+ whole-body ultrasound systems in use by healthcare workers in Sub-Saharan Africa. These are already saving lives, as the handheld medical imaging solutions are in many cases the only access to such technologies communities have had.

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