Initial insights from Apple's Women's Health Study contribute to the ongoing discourse and scientific understanding of menstrual cycles
Apple's latest smartwatches, the Series 8 and Ultra, are set to include a groundbreaking feature: temperature-sensing capabilities that allow users to receive retrospective ovulation estimates. This development is part of Apple's ongoing commitment to health and fitness, with all data encrypted and protected for privacy.
In a recent study conducted by the Apple Women's Health Study team, researchers analysed over 125,000 menstrual cycles. The findings revealed that participants experienced slightly longer menstrual cycles for cycles in which they received a COVID-19 vaccine, but their cycles typically returned to prevaccination lengths the cycle after getting a vaccine.
The study also shed light on the prevalence of menstrual symptoms. Abdominal cramps, bloating, and tiredness were the most frequently tracked symptoms, with over 60 percent of participants logging these symptoms. Moreover, the research found that 12 percent of participants reported a PCOS diagnosis.
Interestingly, the study found that cycle deviations, like irregular or prolonged periods, were found 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 study's findings are significant in their scope and scale, as they aim to advance the understanding of menstrual cycles and how they relate to various health conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), infertility, and menopausal transition.
Cycle Tracking on iPhone and Apple Watch allows users to track their menstrual cycle, offering period and fertile window predictions. iOS 16 and watchOS 9 can detect patterns of irregular periods, infrequent periods, prolonged periods, or persistent spotting. Participants can share their cycle tracking data, along with other health data from their iPhone and Apple Watch, and provide a more well-rounded set of information about their personal and family history and lifestyle through occasional surveys.
The Apple Women's Health Study, conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), is a first-of-its-kind research study. It invites anyone who has ever menstruated across the US to contribute to scientific research by enrolling via the Apple Research app. The Co-Principal Investigator of the study is not explicitly identified in the available search results.
The study's findings also highlighted potential health risks associated with menstrual cycle irregularities. 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. Participants in the group that reported longer cycle regularization 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.
The Apple Women's Health Study team will conduct further analyses on the preliminary data for scientific publication. The new temperature-sensing capabilities in the Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra are expected to provide valuable insights into menstrual health and contribute to ongoing research in this area.
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