HEALTH: Apple Watch will alert heart-study participants if they have an irregular beat.

The company, in collaboration with Stanford Medicine, launched the Apple Heart Study app on Thursday that uses the heart rate sensor inside the Apple Watch to collect data on irregular heart rhythms. The study had been previously announced back in September.

If an irregular heart rhythm is detected, participants in the study will be notified through the Apple Watch and on their iPhones. Should that occur, you’ll be offered a free consultation with a study doctor, and possibly an electrocardiogram (ECG) patch for additional monitoring.

Of course, at that point you’ll likely also wish to consult your own physician.

Indeed. It isn’t about wearing a cure on your wrist, but about getting vital information quickly enough to make a difference.