Fitbit in healthcare partnership to take on Apple Watch

The company has been pushing deeper into the healthcare space

Fitbit is developing a method to detect an irregular heart rhythm in time through a partnership with Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance, as the wearable device maker looks to match a feature available on rival Apple’s Watch.

Fitbit has been pushing deeper into the healthcare space and in August tied up with the Singapore government to provide fitness trackers and services in a health program that the company said could reach up to one million users.

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Under Thursday’s deal, the company’s devices will carry software that will help detect atrial fibrillation - the most common type of irregular heartbeat - after approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.

Atrial fibrillation is a condition associated with irregular heart rhythm that increases the risk of stroke and is usually prevalent among people above 65 years of age.

About 2.7 million to 6 million people suffer from the condition in the United States, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.