Apple Watch incorrectly identifies hypertension in just 4 out of 10 instances, study reveals
In a significant move towards health monitoring, Apple has launched a new health feature called "Blood Pressure Notifications" with watchOS 26 and iOS 26. This feature, which started running with the release of the operating system updates at the beginning of this week, is available on the Ultra 3, Series 11, Series 9, and Ultra 2 Apple Watch models. Unfortunately, the Apple Watch SE does not support this feature.
The technology detects changes in blood volume in the vessels by emitting light from the rear LED into the wrist and measuring the reflection, a process known as photoplethysmography. If corresponding patterns are detected over a period of 30 days, the watch sends a notification and recommends a visit to the doctor and checking the values with a blood pressure monitor.
In a study, the watch triggered the warning in about 30% of study participants with Grade 1 hypertension. For participants with Grade 2 hypertension, the watch recognized the condition in about half of the cases. However, it's important to note that not every case of high blood pressure can be identified by the watch, according to Apple.
The watch does not provide blood pressure readings but issues alerts for possible high blood pressure. These alerts are based on continuous 30-day analysis of heart rate sensor data and use an algorithm to detect signs of hypertension. False alarms, or false warnings to users without high blood pressure, occurred relatively rarely, according to Apple's validation study.
Interestingly, at least false alarms - i.e., false warnings to users without high blood pressure - occurred relatively rarely, according to Apple's validation study. In these cases, a "significant proportion" of users had slightly elevated blood pressure, Apple writes - so the false warning could even be useful for early intervention.
However, people at risk of high blood pressure should not rely solely on the new warning feature of the watch. They should continue to monitor their blood pressure with their doctor or a medical blood pressure monitor. The feature has been approved by regulatory bodies in several countries, making it available in Germany as well.
This new feature can now be specifically logged in Apple Health, along with reminders - another new feature of iOS 26. The potential usefulness of false alarms for early intervention was also discussed in Apple's validation study. The false alarms could serve as a heads-up for users to pay more attention to their health and seek medical advice if necessary.
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