Nina Raemont/ZDNET
Apple’s Hypertension Detection feature could be the reason you learn about your high blood pressure. The feature is available on the latest lineup of Apple Watches that the tech giant unveiled earlier this month, but it’s also available on later models updated to WatchOS 26.
Hypertension Detection recently received FDA clearance, validating the feature’s clinical ability to detect hypertension in Apple Watch wearers. In developing the feature, Apple used data from more than 100,000 study participants to understand hypertension’s presence in the body.
Also: Apple just got FDA clearance for Hypertension Detection – does your watch support it?
Hypertension Detection monitors blood pressure over a 30-day period to measure blood volume. After 30 days, the user receives a rating that indicates whether their blood pressure is above or below the hypertension threshold.
This feature does not monitor daily or hourly blood pressure and can’t take momentary readings. Instead, it’s a detection mechanism that views blood pressure activity longitudinally. The idea behind the longer monitoring period is that a one-time blood pressure reading doesn’t offer a full picture of blood pressure health in the same way as a 30-day monitoring period.
Which watches support Hypertension Detection?
Apple unveiled the Hypertension Detection feature on the new Series 11 and Ultra 3. The feature is also available through WatchOS 26. The smartwatches that can be updated to the latest software include Apple Watch Series 9 and later, and Ultra 2 and later. The Apple Watches SE do not have this feature.
How to enable Hypertension Notifications
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Go to the Health app on your iPhone. Select the Search button, then select the Heart tab.
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Scroll down to “Get More From Health” and select “Set Up” for hypertension notifications.
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Go back to the Health app’s main screen, and tap your Profile in the top right corner. Tap Features and then Health Checklist. Then select “Onboard hypertension notifications.”
How to use Hypertension Notifications
An Apple Watch user will wear the watch for 30 days. After 30 days, Apple Watch will notify them of whether their blood pressure is within or above the hypertension threshold.
If their 30-day average is indeed above the hypertension threshold, Apple suggests consulting with a doctor to review the hypertension data the watch collected. A doctor may suggest that the user take daily readings with a traditional blood pressure monitoring cuff, since the Apple Watch cannot take by-the-minute blood pressure readings.
Also: I tested the Apple Watch Series 11 for a week – here’s my buying advice now
Apple Watch users can log their daily diastolic blood pressure readings through the same Hypertension feature. Apple Watch users can export that log into a PDF to send to a doctor.
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