Apple has steadily expanded the Apple Watch’s health monitoring features over the years, moving beyond fitness tracking into areas that can offer early insight into potential medical concerns. One of the most recent additions is hypertension alerts, which are designed to notify users when their blood pressure trends are elevated over time. While Apple Watches cannot directly measure blood pressure, this feature can still play a useful role in highlighting patterns that may be worth discussing with your doctor. Here, we’ll explain what hypertension alerts do, how they work and how to enable and manage them on the Apple Watch.

What hypertension alerts do

Hypertension alerts are designed to identify long-term trends that may indicate elevated blood pressure. Instead of relying on a traditional cuff measurement, the Apple Watch analyzes a combination of health data collected over a 30-day period, including heart rate, movement patterns and other contextual information stored in the Health app. Using this data, the system looks for sustained changes that align with patterns commonly associated with hypertension.

If your Apple Watch detects a trend suggesting elevated blood pressure over an extended period, it’ll send you a notification. These alerts are not intended to diagnose hypertension or replace medical testing. Instead, they serve as an early signal that something may have changed and that you may want to seek further monitoring or professional advice.

Apple emphasizes that hypertension alerts are designed for users who have not already been diagnosed with high blood pressure. Instead, they are meant to raise awareness rather than confirm a condition.

Who can use hypertension alerts

Hypertension alerts require a compatible Apple Watch model (Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later) paired with a supported iPhone (iPhone 11 or later). The feature also depends on recent versions of watchOS and iOS, as it relies on updated health algorithms and background data analysis. To use hypertension alerts you must be 22 years of age or older, not be pregnant and not have been diagnosed with hypertension. You also need to ensure that your Apple Watch’s Wrist Detection feature is turned on.  

To receive meaningful alerts, your Apple Watch needs sufficient data. This means wearing the watch regularly, including during sleep if sleep tracking is enabled, and keeping health details such as age, sex, height and weight up-to-date in the Health app. The system uses long-term trends, so alerts will not appear immediately after enabling the feature.

How to turn on hypertension alerts

Hypertension alerts are managed through the Health app on the paired iPhone. The feature cannot be enabled directly from the watch itself. During setup, the Health app will ask for confirmation that the user has not been diagnosed with hypertension. It may also prompt a review of health details such as date of birth and biological sex, as this information helps improve the accuracy of trend analysis.

To get started, open the Health app on the iPhone paired with the Apple Watch. From the main Health screen, tap your profile in the top corner. Select Health Checklist from the available Features. Next, you’ll need to tap Hypertension Notifications, confirm your age and whether or not you’ve ever been diagnosed with hypertension. Tap Continue and follow the on-screen prompts for information on how the notifications work. Once you have done this, tap Done and you’ll be all set. 

Once enabled, the feature runs automatically in the background. There is no need to manually start monitoring or interact with the feature daily.

Apple

Managing notifications and alerts

When hypertension alerts are turned on, notifications appear on both the Apple Watch and the paired iPhone. These alerts typically explain that a long-term trend suggesting elevated blood pressure has been detected, along with guidance on next steps.

Users can manage how and when these notifications appear by adjusting notification settings for the Health app. This includes choosing whether alerts appear on the lock screen, in Notification Center or as time-sensitive notifications on Apple Watch.

Health data related to hypertension alerts can be reviewed at any time in the Health app. While Apple Watch does not display a specific blood pressure number, users can view contextual information and educational material explaining what the alert means and what actions may be appropriate.

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How hypertension alerts can help

Hypertension often develops gradually and may not cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages. Because of this, many people are unaware of elevated blood pressure until it is identified during a routine medical check.

Hypertension alerts can let you know of subtle changes that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. For some users, an alert may prompt earlier conversations with a doctor, additional blood pressure monitoring at home or lifestyle changes such as adjustments to diet, activity or sleep habits.

It is important to treat these notifications as informational rather than diagnostic. Apple Watch does not provide specific blood pressure readings and cannot confirm hypertension on its own.

What to do if you receive an alert

Receiving a hypertension alert does not mean that there is an immediate medical emergency. Apple recommends using the alert as a prompt to pay closer attention to your cardiovascular health.

Many users choose to follow up by measuring blood pressure using a traditional cuff at home or by scheduling a check with a healthcare professional. A doctor can provide proper testing, diagnosis and guidance based on clinical measurements and individual risk factors.

It is also worth reviewing lifestyle factors that can influence blood pressure, such as physical activity levels, sleep quality, stress and diet. Apple Watch can already help track many of these areas, which may provide useful context when discussing health concerns with a professional.

Limitations to keep in mind

Hypertension alerts are not available in all regions and may be subject to regulatory approval. The feature also requires consistent Apple Watch use over time to generate reliable trend data.

Most importantly, the Apple Watch does not measure blood pressure directly. The alerts are based on correlations and trends rather than direct readings, which means they should not be used as a substitute for medical equipment or professional care.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/how-to-turn-on-hypertension-alerts-on-apple-watch-130000090.html?src=rss

Original aticle here: Engadget