The FDA Has Approved this On the Apple Watch

The Food & Drug Administration has approved an EKG monitor as an accessory on Apple’s Watch.

The approval makes it the very first certified medical device for the tech giant’s watch.

Medical tech company AliveCor is behind KardiaBand which allows users to check their heart activity with an embedded sensor on Apple’s watch.

The band has a starting price of $199 and requires a yearly subscription for $99.

Apple is also a part of a big heart study that uses the company’s watch to detect a heart abnormality called atrial fibrillation in anyone over 22 years old. The watch will utilize light sensitive conductors, led lights and software to monitor blood flow to look for any abnormalities.

Apple’s COO Jeff Williams has called the study an opportunity to “save a lot of lives.”

This is the first of its kind heart study app to see if the company’s watch can detect atrial fibrillation. It is one of the most common causes of heart failure and strokes and effects thousands of people.

Williams said, “This might seem like a simple study, but we think this is a really special time. Hopefully we can save a lot of lives.”

“It has been a very organic journey,” remarked Williams. “We didn’t wake up one day and say ‘we did iPhone, then we did iPad and let’s knock out health next.'”

Disclaimer: We have no position in Apple Inc. NASDAQ: AAPL) and have not been compensated for this article.