Apple Watch Now Alerts Users to High Blood Pressure...Feature Launches in Korea

Alerts for Suspected High Blood Pressure,
Direct Blood Pressure Measurement Not Supported
Available on Series 9, Ultra 2, and Later Models Only

Starting today, Apple Watch users can be alerted to potential high blood pressure simply by wearing the device.

Apple announced on January 28 that it will support the high blood pressure alert feature of the Apple Watch for users in Korea as well. This feature operates using the sensors built into the Apple Watch, and sends notifications when high blood pressure is detected, utilizing Apple’s proprietary machine learning algorithm.

Apple announced on the 28th that it will support the high blood pressure alert feature of the Apple Watch for users in Korea as well. Photo by Apple

The optical heart rate sensor embedded in the Apple Watch detects and analyzes the process of blood vessel dilation and contraction over approximately 30 days. Afterward, Apple’s proprietary algorithm analyzes the biometric data and sends a notification to the user if high blood pressure is suspected.

Users can receive high blood pressure alerts just by wearing the Apple Watch, but it does not directly measure blood pressure. This is because the algorithm analyzes changes in blood pressure rather than taking direct measurements. In contrast, the Galaxy Watch series by Samsung Electronics can measure blood pressure in real time, but to use this feature, users must first input blood pressure information measured with an actual blood pressure monitor as part of an initial calibration process.

The high blood pressure alert feature has already been available in countries such as the United States, but could not be offered in Korea until now because it had not received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Apple obtained regulatory approval for this feature and officially launched the service in Korea starting today.

This feature is supported only on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and later models. The more affordable Apple Watch SE series does not support the high blood pressure alert. The alert is available to users aged 22 and older who have never been diagnosed with high blood pressure. In addition, pregnant women are restricted from using this feature.

Apple recommends that users who receive a high blood pressure alert record their blood pressure using an actual blood pressure monitor for seven days and share the results with their healthcare provider during their next visit.

Meanwhile, according to Apple, it is estimated that around 1.4 billion people worldwide suffer from high blood pressure. However, about 40% of them do not experience noticeable symptoms and are unaware that they have high blood pressure.

Apple tested the proprietary algorithm for the high blood pressure alert feature with approximately 100,000 participants before releasing it after clinical trials. Apple emphasized that, as this feature handles sensitive biometric data, privacy protection was given the highest priority.