A new generation of Apple devices has been announced, featuring health-related enhancements, including a blood pressure monitor on the latest top-tier version of its Apple Watch.
The Series 11 Apple Watch can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure and warn users that they may have hypertension, according to Apple, which has said the new feature – described as “the next big step in heart health” – will arrive next week.
The announcement came as the FDA approved the hypertension detection system yesterday, according to a Bloomberg report, which said it would be available in 150 countries, including the US and Europe.
At an event to showcase the new tech earlier this week, Apple said that the device uses data from the optical cardiac sensor to analyse how a user’s blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart. An algorithm works passively in the background reviewing data over 30-day periods, and will notify users if it detects consistent signs of hypertension.
The company said the feature was developed using machine learning and trained on studies involving more than 100,000 people, then validated in a 2,000-subject clinical trial. Based on that benchmarking, Apple reckons it will notify more than a million people that they could have undiagnosed hypertension within the first year of availability.
The recommendation from the company is that users who get a notification carry out blood pressure testing using a regular monitor over seven days and discuss the results with their doctor at their next appointment.
“Hypertension is the leading preventable cause of heart attack and stroke, yet millions remain undiagnosed,” commented Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist and scientist at Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital. “Making accurate detection easy and part of daily life can help people get care earlier and prevent avoidable harm.”
Eventually, the feature will be rolled out to other Apple Watches, including the Series 9 and later models and the premium Apple Watch Ultra 2 and 3.
Hypertension affects approximately 1.3 billion adults globally, but it frequently goes undiagnosed because it often has no symptoms and can be easily missed with a single blood pressure measurement at a visit to the doctor.
AirPods Pro 3 now has heart rate sensing
Meanwhile, Apple has also revealed the latest iteration of its earbuds – the AirPods Pro 3 – which will also come with new health features, including heart rate measurements designed to integrate with a user’s workout. The heart rate sensor is delivered by a tiny photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that shines infrared light at 256 times per second to measure light absorption in blood flow.
Working with other sensors in the ear pods – including accelerometers, gyroscope, and GPS – people can now track their performance through various types of workouts, earn awards in the Fitness app, and get “personalised, motivational insights during their session,” said Apple.
Earlier this year, Apple started a major new study looking at how devices like the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods can be used to monitor and improve health and deliver early warning of illness.
