- TGA approves Apple Watch hypertension notification feature
- Apple can now legally enable this feature on its smartwatches
- This feature can save your life as it alerts you if your watch thinks you have chronic high blood pressure.
one feature I was waiting for on Apple Watch series 11 was finally approved. According to report published by the Australian Computer Society (ACS) earlier this month, the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) has finally approved hypertension notifications on compliant Apple Watch.
This, however, does not mean that users can start using this feature immediately; it simply allows Apple to legally enable blood pressure monitoring on its popular smartwatches. Apple has not yet said when the feature will roll out in Australia, but the tech giant typically releases the update as soon as possible when local authorities approve the health tracking feature.
This was a relatively quick result for the TGA, given that it had previously taken the government body more than a year to approve ECG monitoring and sleep apnea detection. However, we're a little late as the feature is already live in 150 other countries, including Canada and New Zealand.
Is monitoring for hypertension important?
You don't necessarily need the latter Apple Watch To take advantage of hypertension notifications, Apple Watch Series 9 or later or Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later will be able to monitor your blood pressure because the hardware is already installed. However, you will have to use watchOS 26 on your smartwatch.
However, none of the SE series watches have this ability.
If you suffer from chronic high blood pressure, hopefully you're already under a doctor's care, but having something on your wrist at all times means you'll be alerted to possible pressure spikes and can take early action if needed. It can also help you create a note for your doctor.
Apple Watch does this by using data from the wearable's optical heart sensor and looking at it over a 30-day period to look for persistent signs of high blood pressure.
Hypertension is a serious risk factor that can lead to a number of health problems, including heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. Unfortunately, many people don't necessarily know they have hypertension because it doesn't necessarily show any symptoms. This means you can skip it.
According to the Heart Research Institute (HRI)More than 4 million Australians suffer from cardiovascular problems and the ability to monitor blood pressure regularly can save lives.
It's important to note that the readings on your Apple Watch may not be accurate—if you receive a notification, it's best to double check using a medically approved blood pressure monitor.
Once Apple implements this feature, you won't need to configure it—it works passively and automatically in the background. If you're lucky, you'll never need his help, but it's nice to know it's there if you need it.
Read more about How Apple Watch measures blood pressure.
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