Apple Watch users in the UAE can now conveniently check their blood pressure levels directly from their wrists, eliminating the need for a traditional blood pressure monitor.
On December 3, a revolutionary hypertension notifications feature was introduced in the UAE, alerting users if chronic high blood pressure, or hypertension, is detected.
Hypertension is the leading risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease, affecting approximately 1.3 billion adults worldwide. It often goes undiagnosed due to its lack of symptoms, irregular doctor visits, and potential oversight during clinical measurements.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
The company confirmed that these notifications are based on rigorous scientific validation. The feature was developed using advanced machine learning and training data from multiple studies involving over 100,000 participants. Its performance was validated in a clinical study with more than 2,000 participants.
How does it work?
The watch utilizes data from the optical heart sensor to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to heartbeats.
The algorithm operates passively in the background, assessing data over 30-day periods, and will notify users if consistent signs of hypertension are detected.
These notifications offer users insights into their health, enabling them to make potentially lifesaving behavioral changes or begin treatment to mitigate the risk of serious, long-term health events.
If users receive a hypertension notification, it is recommended that they log their blood pressure for seven days using a third-party blood pressure cuff and share the results with their healthcare provider during their next visit.
While the watch may not detect all instances of hypertension, the feature aims to notify over 1 million people with undiagnosed hypertension within the first year.
Nearly half of heart attack patients at some UAE hospitals are under 50, warn doctors.
UAE: Fit, young adults may have hidden heart issues, doctors say.
‘Worst headache’: UAE doctors urge brain aneurysm screening as symptoms are misunderstood.
