Five Apple Watch models can measure blood pressure and generate alerts about possible hypertension. However, it does not provide actual blood pressure readings.
Some smart rings and other fitness devices support this, but they rely on regular adjustments through traditional cuff monitors. The upcoming Signal Ring offers complete blood pressure measurements without calibration and says trials with thousands of people support its claims.
“Silent Killer”
Both abnormally high blood pressure (hypertension) and low blood pressure (hypotension) can pose serious health risks.
Of the two, high blood pressure is the most dangerous and is called the “silent killer” because it can cause severe and irreversible damage to arteries, heart, and brain without any noticeable symptoms. This condition is often not discovered until it causes a heart attack or stroke.
It’s good to measure your blood pressure regularly, especially if you’re an older person, and you can also buy home cuffs that allow you to do this. However, it is clear that fully automatic monitoring via the fitness devices you are already wearing is ideal.
Apple Watch blood pressure function
With the introduction of watchOS 26, you can now measure blood pressure on five Apple Watch models:
- apple watch series 11
- apple watch series 10
- apple watch series 9
- apple watch ultra 3
- apple watch ultra 2
However, these do not provide readings, but rather send alerts if they detect signs of potential hypertension. Other devices such as Oura Ring work as well.
Although some fitness devices provide actual blood pressure readings, they rely on being periodically calibrated against readings taken with a blood pressure cuff.
signal ring
Startup VitalSignals has announced that it has developed Signaling, a smart ring that can measure blood pressure as accurately as traditional wristbands without the need for calibration.
bloomberg The company’s CEO, Tom Moss, reportedly said he founded the company after nearly dying from undiagnosed high blood pressure.
“Basically, as a consumer, there’s very little real way to know exactly what your blood pressure is. It’s kind of crazy,” Moss said. Before her health scare prompted her transition into the health field, she worked at drone maker Skydio Inc., hardware makers Razer Inc. and Nextbit Systems.
The ring will be available for pre-order later today, priced at $399, with delivery scheduled for October. No subscription required. Both real-time blood pressure readings and tracking over time are displayed in the companion app (shown above).
It’s worth noting that the Oura Ring has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but clinical trials have shown that it provided accurate blood pressure readings for thousands of participants.
Interestingly, Moss isn’t trying to sell the ring to just anyone. He said the expert feature is best suited for older adults and people advised by doctors to be at risk for high blood pressure, which suggests that signaling may be inadequate in other areas such as sleep tracking.
Another piece of advice for people who are young, low-risk, or confident that their blood pressure is healthy: buy an Oura or an Apple Watch.
