Hypertension Alerts Coming to Older Apple Watch Models

Apple has announced that its new hypertension detection feature, initially exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11, will be expanded to include earlier Apple Watch models.

The feature will be available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, plus Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later models, with watchOS 26. FDA clearance is expected soon, with availability in over 150 countries this month.

Hypertension detection uses the optical heart sensor to analyze blood vessel responses over 30-day periods, alerting users to consistent signs of chronic high blood pressure. Hypertension affects approximately 1.3 billion adults globally and often goes undiagnosed due to lack of symptoms.

Apple says its hypertension notifications were developed using machine learning and training data from studies involving over 100,000 participants. The technology was validated in clinical trials with more than 2,000 participants. Apple expects the feature to notify over 1 million people with undiagnosed hypertension within its first year.

Users who receive notifications are advised to monitor their blood pressure for seven days using a third-party cuff and share results with healthcare providers, following American Heart Association guidelines.

watchOS 26 will be released on September 15, while the new Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple Watch Series 11 will begin shipping September 19.