Artificial intelligence aids Apple in discovering a novel blood pressure alert on the Watch
In a groundbreaking move, tech giant Apple has rolled out a new high blood pressure notification feature for its Apple Watch Series 11, with support for the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra models as well. This innovative feature, designed to help users monitor their health, is set to be rolled out across more than 150 countries.
The feature, which has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, aims to help people discover high blood pressure early, potentially reducing the risk of related conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease.
Apple has been interested in identifying high blood pressure for several years, and the new feature is a result of AI models applied to existing sensor data. The company used data from 100,000 participants in a heart and movement study to find patterns in watch sensor data related to blood pressure.
However, it's important to note that the high blood pressure notification feature does not measure blood pressure directly. Instead, it notifies users and encourages them to use a cuff and consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis. Sumbul Ahmad Desai, Apple's vice president of health, discussed the development of this feature, emphasising its potential benefits but also warning against false positives that might alarm users and false reassurance, where users who don't receive an alert may wrongly assume they don't have high blood pressure.
Ami Bhatt, chief innovation officer of the American College of Cardiology, echoed these sentiments, stating that while the feature could be a valuable tool in health monitoring, it should not replace traditional measurements and professional diagnosis. The traditional method for measuring blood pressure, a sphygmomanometer, is often encountered only at a doctor's office.
As for the iPhone 17 launch, there was a long queue at Apple's Beijing store, but this information is not directly related to the high blood pressure notification feature. Similarly, a warning for Pakistanis looking to buy new iPhones against counterfeit websites is also not related to the new health feature.
With high blood pressure affecting over 1 billion people globally, with half going undiagnosed, this new feature could potentially make a significant impact on early detection and prevention of related health conditions.
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