The Apple Watch offers a number of advanced options for monitoring your health; Including oxygen saturation, ECG, Heart rate and getting a warning with an unusual high, low or irregular heartbeat. New reports are new with high blood pressure.
This function gives you a signal if you show symptoms of persistently increased blood pressure, better known as hypertension. Good news, the position is part of Watchos 26 and is therefore not only available on the latest Apple Watch models.
Hypertension a worldwide problem
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a worldwide problem and is one of the biggest causes of death and disability. Around 1.4 billion people worldwide have too high a blood pressure, but only one in five has it under control. Especially in countries with a low or middle income, hypertension is common and the problem is increasing. Tackling hypertension can prevent millions of deaths annually and saving enormous costs.
Hypertension is often overlooked because the symptoms can be absent and few people regularly go to the doctor. Even a measurement in the doctor’s practice is not always sufficient to detect high blood pressure.
Enable blood pressure messages
As soon as you have updated your iPhone and Apple Watch to iOS 26, Watchos 26 or newer you can call in the reports for high blood pressure.
- Open ‘Health’ on your iPhone
- Tap the magnifying glass
- Go to ‘Heart’
- Search the list for ‘hypertension reports’ (below)
- Tap ‘Configure’ and go through the activation process.
Once you have completed the steps, reports for high blood pressure are activated. Then your Apple Watch and iPhone will analyze the data and you may be established as hypertension. On an Apple Watch you can also manage the hypertension reports via Settings â–¸ Hart.
The feature is not intended for users under the age of 22, users who have been determined in the past or users who are pregnant.
How does the blood pressure report work on Apple Watch?
The blood pressure report on the Apple Watch uses the optical heart rate sensor to measure how your blood vessels react to your heart rate. For a period of thirty days Angorithm analyzes this data to determine whether you may have high blood pressure. By simply wearing your Apple Watch, you gain more insight into your blood pressure. The Apple Watch does not show exact blood pressure values, but helps to signal trends in your blood pressure.
If your blood pressure turns out to be too high, you can consider adjusting your lifestyle or start treatment so that you can reduce the risk of health problems in the long term.
The function for reporting high blood pressure has been carefully tested and scientifically substantiated, just like all other health functions of the Apple Watch.
This function has been developed with advanced machine learning and data from several studies in total more than 100,000 people participated. Subsequently, the functionality was tested in a clinical study with more than 2000 participants.
What should you do if you suffer from hypertension?
Although the function will not identify all cases of hypertension, it is expected that the broad use of the Apple Watch will lead to more than 1 million people, for whom no high blood pressure had previously been established, will receive a report within the first year.
Users who receive a high blood pressure warning are recommended to regularly measure their blood pressure for seven days with a blood pressure monitor with cuff. These users must discuss the measurement data during their next doctor’s visit with a doctor. This advice is in line with the latest guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.
With hypertension it is important to eat healthily (little salt and sufficient vegetables), to exercise sufficiently, achieve a healthy weight and not to smoke. Limit alcohol and stress. If lifestyle adjustments do not help enough, the doctor usually prescribes blood pressure -lowering medicines. Regular check by the doctor always remains important.
On the website of the Hartstichting you will also find some tips to reduce blood pressure.
Also available on older Apple Watch models
In the beginning it seemed as if the blood pressure reports were only available on the newest Apple Watches, but it turns out not to be the case.
The blood pressure reports are available on the Apple Watch models below:
- Apple Watch Series 9 or newer
- Apple Watch Ultra 2 or newer.
To be able to use it, your Apple Watch must be provided with Watchos 26 or newer.