High blood pressure notifications were one of the most prominent health features highlighted at the launch of Apple’s latest technological marvels, the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. The company had announced that it expected this innovative feature to receive approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) soon. As of Thursday night, FDA approval was officially granted, and the feature will be available to users next week.

High Blood Pressure Feature Coming to Apple Watch: FDA Approval Received

Apple announced that its new high blood pressure notifications feature will be available next week in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. These regions include the United States, European Union countries, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. The feature will also be available on previous-generation devices such as the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Apple explains how the feature works: “High blood pressure notifications on Apple Watch use data from the optical heart sensor to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to their heartbeat. The algorithm passively analyzes the data in the background over a 30-day period and notifies the user when it detects consistent signs of high blood pressure. These notifications provide users with valuable insights into this common condition, allowing them to initiate lifesaving behavioral changes or initiate treatment to reduce serious long-term health risks.”

Apple states that this new feature can alert nearly half of people with high blood pressure, and that this rate could be even higher for those with more severe stage 2 high blood pressure. It emphasizes that the feature is not an official medical diagnostic tool, but rather an awareness tool that works passively in the background. The company also emphasizes that this feature cannot notify everyone with high blood pressure.

In tests, the feature achieved a specificity rate of 95.3 percent for people in the ‘Normal’ category. This means many people with undiagnosed high blood pressure who have high blood pressure will also be able to receive alerts.

Apple says this helps raise awareness and encourage users to proactively talk to their doctors about long-term risks like heart disease, stroke, or kidney problems. Apple adds that it expects to alert more than one million people with undiagnosed high blood pressure within the first year.