By Kimberly Chin 

Johnson & Johnson said Thursday that it has joined with Apple Inc. on a research study that will test the Apple Watch's ability to help detect early irregular heart conditions in certain people before something life-threatening happens.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., which is a part of J&J's family of research and development companies, will work on the study. The company will use its J&J-developed heart health monitoring app on the latest Apple Watch series. The app will help detect the irregular heart rhythm of people living with atrial fibrillation, a type of heart arrhythmia that often goes unnoticed and can make them more prone to strokes.

The study is the latest attempt to tap into the ubiquity of the mobile device and test its ability to help monitor or improve health. Apple has allowed medical researchers and developers to use its ResearchKit and CareKit platforms to create apps to start, run and track their own clinical trials using Apple Watch technology.

Apple also released its own study in 2017 in collaboration with Stanford University researchers that attempts to test the Apple Watch's ability to track irregular heartbeats. Over 400,000 people participated in the study, according to Apple. In December, it launched an ECG app on its Apple Watch Series 4 that would go directly to consumers who wanted to check their heart rhythms.

J&J said the study will help measure the efficacy of the Apple Watch in its ability to provide irregular heart rhythm notifications that could help with the early detection of heart conditions, as well as show whether certain medications are effective.

"If people can get feedback from this technology and take appropriate care, we hope this study would drive down the risk of stroke. That will really move the needle in healthcare delivery today," said Dr. Paul Burton, J&J's vice president of medical affairs and one of the leads of the study.

The multiyear research program will launch sometime in 2019, J&J said. The program will be available to individuals in the U.S., ages 65 years or older who consent to the study.

More details of the study will come out in the next few months, Dr. Burton said.

J&J has maintained that neither the company or Apple will have access to identifiable patient data nor will that information be available to third-party providers, such as healthcare systems or insurers.

"One of the reasons we partnered with Apple is because of their unparalleled data privacy and security capabilities. All participants will be asked to sign an informed consent," a company spokeswoman said.

Atrial fibrillation is a condition that causes an irregular and often rapid, heart rate. It affects up to 2.7 million to 6.1 million people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Through Apple Watch people have been able to learn more about their heart health, including discovering they have AFib. This kind of information empowers customers to follow up with the right treatment or even better, implement healthy habits aimed at prevention," said Jeff Williams, chief operating officer of Apple, in prepared remarks.

Write to Kimberly Chin at kimberly.chin@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 17, 2019 19:59 ET (00:59 GMT)