Apple Watch Hypertension Alerts Feature Gets FDA Clearance, Rolling Out Next Week

Highlights

• Apple Watch’s hypertension notifications have received FDA approval and will begin rolling out next week across over 150 regions.
• The feature will be available on Apple Watch Series 9, 10, 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3.
• Apple estimates over 1 million users could be alerted to undiagnosed hypertension in the first year, aiding early intervention.

Apple’s latest health innovation for its smartwatch lineup has officially cleared a major hurdle. Just days after announcing the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple has received FDA approval for its new hypertension notifications feature.

At the launch event earlier this week, Apple had said it expected clearance “soon.” Now it is confirmed that the FDA has been granted approval and the feature will begin rolling out next week.

Global Availability

Apple confirmed that hypertension alerts will be available in over 150 countries and regions including the US, EU, Hong Kong, and New Zealand at launch.

The feature won’t be limited to the newest models. It will also roll out to the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2, alongside the newly launched Series 11 and Ultra 3.

How the Hypertension Notifications Work?

Apple explained the feature in detail –

“Hypertension notifications on Apple Watch use data from the optical heart sensor to 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 will notify users if it detects consistent signs of hypertension. These notifications provide users with valuable insights into their health as it relates to this widespread condition simply by wearing their Apple Watch, so they can begin making potentially lifesaving behavioral changes, or start treatment to reduce their risk of serious, long-term health events.”

Essentially, the watch uses its optical heart sensor to track blood vessel response and analyse trends over time. The feature runs passively in the background rather than functioning as a medical diagnostic tool.

Accuracy and Health Impact

In internal testing, the feature achieved 95.3% specificity in the “Normal” category. This means that even users who weren’t fully hypertensive but showed elevated readings were still flagged, encouraging earlier conversations with healthcare providers.

Apple highlights that the feature could help identify nearly half of users with high blood pressure with even greater effectiveness for Stage 2 hypertension cases. However, the company emphasises that not everyone with hypertension will receive a notification.

Apple projects that within the first year, the hypertension notifications could alert over 1 million users with previously undiagnosed hypertension, potentially reducing risks tied to heart disease, stroke, and kidney complications.

This move further strengthens Apple’s positioning of the Apple Watch as a health-first wearable, bridging the gap between consumer technology and preventive healthcare.

FAQs

Q1. Which Apple Watch models will support the hypertension notifications?

Answer. The feature will roll out to Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Ultra 2, and Ultra 3.

Q2. How do hypertension notifications work on Apple Watch?

Answer. They use the optical heart sensor to analyse blood vessel response over 30 days and notify users if consistent signs of hypertension are detected.

Q3. Is the Apple Watch hypertension feature available globally?

Answer. Yes, Apple confirmed availability in over 150 countries and regions, including the US, EU, Hong Kong, and New Zealand.

Q4. How accurate is the Apple Watch hypertension detection feature?

Answer. In internal testing, it achieved 95.3% specificity in the “Normal” category, helping flag elevated readings even before full hypertension develops.

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