- TGA has approved the Apple Watch’s hypertension notification feature
- Apple can now legally enable the feature on its smartwatch
- This could be a life-saving feature as it alerts you if your watch thinks you have chronic high blood pressure
The one feature that I was waiting for on the Apple Watch Series 11 has finally been approved. According to a report published by the Australian Computer Society (ACS) earlier this month, the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) has finally approved hypertension notifications on compatible Apple Watches.
This, however, does not mean users can immediately start using the feature; it just allows Apple to legally enable blood pressure monitoring on its popular smartwatch. There’s no update yet from Apple when the feature will be rolled out in Australia, but the tech giant usually pushes out an update as soon as possible when local authorities approve a health-tracking feature.
This was a relatively quick turnaround for the TGA, considering it took the government body over a year to approve ECG monitoring and sleep apnoea detection previously. That said, we are a little late to the party as the feature already works in 150 other countries, including Canada and New Zealand.
Is hypertension monitoring important?
You don’t necessarily need the latest Apple Watch to take advantage of hypertension notifications – Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or an Apple Watch Ultra 2 or newer would be able to monitor blood pressure as the hardware is already installed. None of the SE series watches have this ability though.
If you suffer from chronic high blood pressure, you’re hopefully already under your doctor’s care, but having something on your wrist at all times means you could be alerted to possible spikes and can take early action if necessary. It can also help you build a record to take to your doctor.
The Apple Watch does this by using data from the wearable’s optical heart sensor, reviewing it over a 30-day period to look out for consistent signs of high blood pressure.
Hypertension is a serious risk factor that can lead to several health issues, including heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease, and sadly, many people don’t necessarily know they’re hypertensive as it doesn’t necessarily present any symptoms. That means it can be missed.
According to Heart Research Institute (HRI), more than 4 million Aussies are affected by cardio-vascular issues and the ability to monitor blood pressure consistently could save lives.
It’s important to note that the readings on your Apple Watch may not be accurate – if you do get a notification, it’s best to double check by using a medically approved blood-pressure monitor.
Once Apple rolls out the feature, you won’t need to set it up – it works passively and automatically in the background. With any luck, you’ll never need its assistance, but it’s good to know it’s there if you do.
Read more about how the Apple Watch monitors blood pressure.
The best Apple Watches
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sharmishta.sarkar@futurenet.com (Sharmishta Sarkar)
