Apple Watch integrates AI to detect risk of high blood pressure

The Apple Watch Series 11, which will be available from September 19, is not only a wearable technology device, but also carries a new feature that is expected to change the way people approach cardiovascular health: warning of high blood pressure risk.

What's special is that this isn't a miniature blood pressure monitor, but the result of artificial intelligence (AI), which Apple has applied to existing sensor data. This feature can also work on Apple Watch models from Series 9 onwards.

Sumbul Ahmad Desai, Apple's vice president of health , said the company has been working on detecting high blood pressure for years. Globally, more than 1 billion people have the condition, but up to 50% of cases go undiagnosed. The biggest reason is that the standard method of measuring blood pressure using a specialized blood pressure monitor (sphygmomanometer) is often only available in the doctor's office, leaving many people unaware of the potential risk.

Since 2019, Apple has launched a heart and exercise study with the participation of 100,000 people.

The company uses AI to analyze heart rate sensor data from the Apple Watch, comparing it with traditional blood pressure readings.

After multiple layers of machine learning, Apple developed an algorithm that detected high blood pressure risk, which was validated in a separate study with 2,000 participants.

Ms. Desai admits that strict privacy guidelines mean Apple doesn't have much data outside of large-scale studies. But she says, "these studies are incredibly powerful, helping us identify signals that are worth digging into."

The new feature has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, this device does not measure blood pressure directly, but only notifies users when there are signs that they may have high blood pressure, and recommends that they use a blood pressure monitor to measure again and consult a doctor.

Ami Bhatt, chief innovation officer at the American College of Cardiology, said rolling out the feature to more than 150 countries could help detect high blood pressure early, thereby reducing the risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney failure.

She said Apple has been careful to limit false alarms, but warned: “Apple needs to emphasize that this feature cannot replace professional diagnosis. There is still a risk that people who do not receive warnings will mistakenly believe they are completely healthy.”

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/apple-watch-tich-hop-ai-phat-hien-nguy-co-cao-huyet-ap-post1062870.vnp