Johnson & Johnson recently partnered with Apple on a study to test whether the Apple Watch can better detect and diagnose heart irregularities.
The companies are using the Apple Watch in a cardiovascular health study to see if it can improve the time it takes to detect atrial fibrillation, which can lead to stroke and other debilitating conditions. AFib affects about 33 million people worldwide.
In an interview with CNBC, J&J Chairman and CEO Alex Gorsky spoke about the partnership, calling it a "pivotal step" that could positively affect consumers and patients.
"If we can detect [AFib] earlier, we can get them the right medication [and] we can help them be compliant on these medications over a longer period of time. Ultimately, we're going to save lives," Mr. Gorsky said.
Mr. Gorsky said the partnership shows how technology is pushing its way further into healthcare.
"I think it really shows how some of this technology is coming to healthcare in new, innovative, unique ways that, frankly, we couldn't have even imagined just a few years ago," Mr. Gorsky told CNBC.
Ultimately, the two companies hope to build algorithms into the watch that can monitor and detect anomalies before anything harms the wearer.
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