The latest versions of the Apple Watch (Series 11 and Ultra 3), released Sept. 19, have a new health feature: hypertension notifications, representing a breakthrough addition to the heart health features offered by Apple Watch.
Hypertension (also known as high blood pressure) is estimated to affect one in four Canadian adults, and is a major risk factor for heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease and vision loss. It’s very common for people not to know they have it, since they may be symptom-free, yet if untreated, it can lead to serious health problems.
How it works
The watch does not directly measure blood pressure, but works via optical heart rate sensing to detect signs pointing to possible chronic hypertension, based on data collected in the background during 30-day periods. The feature was developed using advanced machine learning and is based on studies of more than 100,000 people; a further study was necessary to obtain approval by Health Canada.Â
To take advantage of the feature, users can set it up in the Health App on their iPhone, then simply wear their watch daily. The feature should not be used during pregnancy, since blood pressure may be temporarily lower or higher than normal during pregnancy.
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If the watch detects that hypertension is likely, users receive a notification both on their watch and in the Health App on their iPhone. They are recommended to follow up with their doctor at their next visit, and to test their blood pressure with a cuff every day for a certain number of days. Blood pressure readings can be recorded in the Health app and shared with a health professional.
Of course, running typically improves most measures of health, including blood pressure. But it is still possible for runners to experience the condition, and not to be aware of it.
The hypertension notifications feature is available only to adults aged 22 and over, who have no previous hypertension diagnosis. It is available on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 and Series 11 models and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and 3 models. Note that Apple Watch may not detect all instances of high blood pressure.Â
For more information on how the Hypertension Notifications feature was developed, click here. For more information on Apple Watch, click here.
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