Apple Watch's High Blood Pressure Notifications Available in Canada and Singapore Starting Today

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced that its Hypertension Notifications feature on select Apple Watch models is available in Canada, Singapore, and Bahrain starting today.

The feature is available on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3 models running watchOS 26. It is not available on any Apple Watch SE models. Users can set up the feature in the Health app on a paired iPhone.

• How to Turn On Apple Watch Hypertension Notifications

Hypertension Notifications first launched in the U.S. and more than 150 other countries and territories last month.

The feature can alert users if signs of chronic hypertension (high blood pressure) are detected, according to Apple. Based on data from the Apple Watch's optical heart sensor, the feature can analyze how a user's blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart. The algorithm works passively in the background, reviewing data over 30-day periods, and users are notified if consistent signs of hypertension are detected.

Apple says the feature does not require calibration, does not measure blood pressure directly, and does not surface a blood pressure reading to users.

Apple said the feature underwent "rigorous scientific validation," as outlined in a 12-page document. According to the company, it was developed with advanced machine learning and training data from multiple studies totaling more than 100,000 participants, and its performance was then validated in a clinical study of more than 2,000 participants.

Apple says the feature is "not intended for use by people under 22 years old, those who have been previously diagnosed with hypertension, or during pregnancy."

Article Link: Apple Watch's High Blood Pressure Notifications Available in Canada and Singapore Starting Today

 

[Howard2k]

Fantastic news!

 

[routine_analyst]

Will this be just as "great" as the VO2max rating?

 

[f0ku5]

Will this be just as "great" as the VO2max rating?

What’s wrong with this rating?

 

[Apple-achian]

Apple should approach all medical authorities worldwide and make this the scientific standard for blood pressure measurement. All patients should have subsidized Apple Watches and all physicians should be required to have certification interpreting the devices and promoting them. Bye bye sphygmos

 

[ttaylor2258]

Considering that every morning I walk upstairs, stand around for about 2 minutes, grabbing a yogurt from my fridge, look out the window, walk back downstairs and don't ever get credit for a stand hour, I don't think I'll trust anything Apple puts out as health information. It gives me a stand hour credit, without fail, at night when I'm sitting on my couch and turn my body a certain way. It also routinely gives me high sleep scores, despite me being an insomniac at times and have nights where I literally don't fall asleep. I take any Apple measurement with a grain of salt.

 

[kurtfoster]

It would be nice if it worked with people who were already on high blood pressure medicine. Apparently, if you’re already taking medicine, it doesn’t.

 

[Ratatapa]

Still not available in canada

iPhone 15 pro with AW10 latest version

 

[Black_Mage]

Anyone know if this will also provide a warning for blood pressure that is too low?

 

[hagjohn]

The only issue with this is that it is not for those who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. It is only for those who have not been diagnosed.

As a person with high blood pressure, I would like an app to monitor my blood pressure and alert me to spikes, that I have not noticed physically yet.

 

[hagjohn]

Considering that every morning I walk upstairs, stand around for about 2 minutes, grabbing a yogurt from my fridge, look out the window, walk back downstairs and don't ever get credit for a stand hour, I don't think I'll trust anything Apple puts out as health information. It gives me a stand hour credit, without fail, at night when I'm sitting on my couch and turn my body a certain way. It also routinely gives me high sleep scores, despite me being an insomniac at times and have nights where I literally don't fall asleep. I take any Apple measurement with a grain of salt.

My sleep app tells me that I'm sleeping while I'm driving to work. There are issues, with the past 2 version of IOS, that need to be resolved with these apps.

 

[Howard2k]

It would be nice if it worked with people who were already on high blood pressure medicine. Apparently, if you’re already taking medicine, it doesn’t.

It would work, but it provide incorrect information. It's for detecting hypertension, and if you're on meds then they would disrupt the detection.

 

[Howard2k]

Still not available in canada

iPhone 15 pro with AW10 latest version

Did you try to enable it in the health app? I had to try to enable it and it appears to not have worked, but then when I went back into that section it said it was simply not activated and then asked me some questions.

 

[Ratatapa]

Did you try to enable it in the health app? I had to try to enable it and it appears to not have worked, but then when I went back into that section it said it was simply not activated and then asked me some questions.

Yes and it brings me to apple site where canada is not listed in the countries

 

[1BadManVan]

Yes and it brings me to apple site where canada is not listed in the countries

Yup, same issue here but after I fully closed the health app and relaunched it, it showed up

 

[svish]

Good to see the feature availability expanding to more regions. Still waiting for it to be available in my country. Hopefully it will be available soon.

 

[normwood]

This for this article. I honestly didn’t know this was a thing. I now have it set up.

 

[chmania]

This is largely a marketing gimmick and holds little medical value.
Everyone seems to have a blood pressure monitor at home, especially if they are older or have issues with high blood pressure. Moreover, that blood pressure monitor isn't very expensive and should be readily available at home for these vulnerable people. And it is usually recommended by doctors.

 

[Howard2k]

This is largely a marketing gimmick and holds little medical value.
Everyone seems to have a blood pressure monitor at home, especially if they are older or have issues with high blood pressure. Moreover, that blood pressure monitor isn't very expensive and should be readily available at home for these vulnerable people. And it is usually recommended by doctors.

You're missing the point entirely. It's to alert people who have NO IDEA that they have hypertension, that they have hypertension. Those people are unlikely to have a BPM at home, otherwise they're more likely to know that they have hypertension.

 

[chmania]

And it is usually recommended by doctors.

You're missing the point entirely. It's to alert people who have NO IDEA that they have hypertension, that they have hypertension. Those people are unlikely to have a BPM at home, otherwise they're more likely to know that they have hypertension.

I suppose, you have a medical check up at least once year.

 

[Howard2k]

And it is usually recommended by doctors.

I suppose, you have a medical check up at least once year.

I don't. I probably should, but I'm in good health generally, it seems.
Ask me in 30 days about whether I have hypertension.

 

[chmania]

I don't. I probably should, but I'm in good health generally, it seems.

If you are employed, a yearly medical check-up is mandatory where I live. You must undergo a medical examination before entering employment, so you know where you stand with your health. Perhaps in the US, that isn’t a requirement, leading to these gimmicks.

The elderly and retirees always go for their medical check-ups, as they simply enjoy doing so. Additionally, it is free.

 

[sparkie7]

How about the bottom of the world that is Australia?

 

[PreciousLuscious]

Yup, same issue here but after I fully closed the health app and relaunched it, it showed up

Still not available in canada

iPhone 15 pro with AW10 latest version

I also live in Canada and experienced this problem as well. So I went into the Health app, tapped on Heart, scrolled down to find Hypertension, which then showed "set up," whereas going through your profile on the Summary page and clicking on the Health Checklist did not work and showed 'unavailable'.

 

[Howard2k]

I also live in Canada and experienced this problem as well. So I went into the Health app, tapped on Heart, scrolled down to find Hypertension, which then showed "set up," whereas going through your profile on the Summary page and clicking on the Health Checklist did not work and showed 'unavailable'.

Maybe restart the phone. It’s working for me.