The FDA has approved a new Apple Watch feature that monitors and alerts users about high blood pressure; the feature will be available on select models next week.

The Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 will feature a new hypertension sensor to alert users of high blood pressure, a condition that can lead to serious health issues. While some smartwatches, such as the Huawei Watch D2, can provide on-demand blood pressure readings using an inflatable airbag in the straps, Apple's watches do not yet offer this capability.

Announced on Tuesday alongside the new watches, the hypertension feature utilizes the same optical heart sensor found in current and older Apple Watch models. A new algorithm analyzes data on how blood vessels respond to heartbeats over a 30-day period. If the algorithm identifies patterns suggestive of hypertension, the user will receive an alert advising them to consult a doctor.

Apple's hypertension feature recently received FDA approval on Thursday, and the notification feature is scheduled to launch next week in the U.S., EU, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, with availability planned for over 150 countries and regions. The feature will also be available on the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

According to Apple, hypertension notifications leverage data from the optical heart sensor to assess how blood vessels react to heartbeats. The algorithm operates continuously, reviewing data over 30-day periods and notifying users of consistent signs of hypertension. This will provide users with important insights into their health, potentially leading to behavioral changes or treatment to lower the risk of serious health events.

Apple trained its algorithm using machine learning and data from multiple studies involving over 100,000 participants, followed by another study with 2,000 participants.

Apple estimates the Hypertension Notification alert could alert nearly half of users with high blood pressure and a higher percentage of those with Stage 2 hypertension. The company anticipates that over 1 million people with undiagnosed hypertension will receive an alert in the feature's first year. The feature operates passively on compatible Apple Watch models, but Apple noted that not everyone with hypertension will receive a notification.

Apple is also expected to release a blood sugar feature for the Apple Watch that would alert users if their blood sugar was too high or low. Subsequent versions would eventually give blood glucose readings on demand, which could also be the case for blood pressure readings on the Apple Watch.

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