Earlier this week LifeOmic, maker of a provider-facing data integration app, announced a new platform dubbed LIFE Extend that's designed to help patients prevent chronic disease associated with aging. 

The app gives users points for tracking their physical activity, nutrition, mindfulness, sleep and intermittent fasting. Once a user acquires a certain amount of points, they can cash them at Cotopaxi, Keto-Mojo, Muse, Aaptiv and others, according to the company. 

In addition, users can store health information on the platform, such as medical records and lab results. The platform also uses artificial intelligence to give people personalized advice. 

As part of this news, LifeOmic announced a partnership with Ulta Test Labs, which measures different biomarkers, and OlaWell, a microbiome testing company. The LifeOmic app will be able to deliver results of the test results via the new app. 

WHY IT MATTERS 

According to the CDC, six in 10 adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease, and four in 10 have two or more. The agency notes that lifestyle habits including poor nutrition, tobacco use, lack of physical activity and excessive alcohol use increase an individual’s risk for chronic disease. 

"We've created an app for people who want to take control of their health rather than wait until they get sick and hope a doctor can figure it out," Dr. Don Brown, founder and CEO of LifeOmic, said in a statement. "We are enabling the 'Quantified Self' movement that encourages people to monitor their own bodies. LIFE Extend not only guides users toward adopting proven health-promoting behaviors but helps them measure the results down at the molecular level. Now people can obtain a full picture of their health any time they choose, at whatever granularity they desire. We believe that the future of health care is an active collaboration among physicians, patients and intelligent cloud-based systems."

THE LARGER TREND

Incentivizing healthy behaviors with rewards has become a popular trend in digital health. Perhaps most notable is Attain — a voluntary wellness rewards program developed in a partnership between Apple and Aetna.

Meeting these goals and challenges will earn rewards points that members can spend on gift cards, or redeem to offset the cost of the Apple Watch itself. For example, if a user has met all of their monthly goals, then Aetna will pay off their Apple Watch payment.