Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is one of the most common forms of irregular heart rhythms, and it can lead to stroke and even death. It generally can be managed or even corrected, but as many as one third of the people with the condition are not aware that they have it, as they may not have any symptoms. If you have 90 seconds and an Apple smartphone, you could help provide data that will help researchers learn more about AFib.
Heart to Heart is a project to crowd-source data about heart rhythms. The organizers hope that this will become the largest heart health initiative in the world, and demonstrate the power of crowd-sourced data. To participate, you simply download an app from the Apple App Store, answer a few demographic questions, and then hold your finger over the camera lens, partially covering the flash. In about 90 seconds, the app will calibrate and record your heart beat data.
The program is backed by Happitech, the Arrhythmia Alliance, and Bug Labs. The project has the potential to gather millions of data points from individuals around the world. The data could help shed new light on AFib and other heart conditions.
