High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of those silent health issues that can sneak up on you without any warning. It’s estimated to affect more than 1.3 billion adults worldwide, and many don’t even know they have it. In Singapore, where long hours, stress, and salty hawker food are part of daily life, hypertension is becoming increasingly common – and that’s a serious concern. If left unmanaged, it can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, or even vision loss over time.
The tricky part? Most people with high blood pressure don’t experience any symptoms, so it often goes unnoticed until something serious happens. Even routine doctor visits might miss it, since a one-off reading doesn’t always reflect your true blood pressure levels. Despite guidelines recommending regular checks, almost half of those with hypertension globally remain unaware that they’re at risk.
That’s where the Apple Watch now steps in with a potentially life-changing update. With its new Hypertension Notifications feature, the Apple Watch can passively monitor for signs of chronic high blood pressure over time and alert you if it detects worrying patterns – even when you’re not actively measuring your blood pressure or visiting a clinic. All you need to do is set up the feature once and wear your watch as usual.
For many Singaporeans, this could be a real game-changer. Imagine catching early signs of hypertension while going about your daily routine – at work, during your morning walk, or even while queuing for kopi. It’s one more way technology is quietly working in the background to help us take better care of ourselves, without adding extra effort or stress to already busy lives.
Source: Apple
How to turn on hypertension notification
- On your iPhone, open the Health app.
- Tap your profile icon in the upper corner.
- Under Features, tap Health Checklist.
- Tap Hypertension Notifications.
- Confirm your age and if you’ve ever been diagnosed with hypertension, then tap Continue.
- Tap Next to follow the onscreen prompts to learn how the notifications work.
- Tap Done.
When you receive a notification, it means your Apple Watch has identified patterns in your heart data over the past 30 days that may be linked to high blood pressure. This doesn’t automatically mean you have hypertension, but it’s a helpful early warning sign worth paying attention to.
If you get this notification, the next step is simple – bring it up with your doctor during your next appointment. Share both the notification and any recent blood pressure readings you may have. Your Apple Watch will also prompt you to set up a Blood Pressure Log, which helps track your readings more accurately. You’ll be encouraged to use a third-party blood pressure cuff for 7 consecutive days to measure and log your blood pressure.
This combination of continuous monitoring from your Apple Watch and manual readings from a cuff helps your healthcare professional get a clearer, more accurate picture of your cardiovascular health – so you can take action early if needed.
Here are a few important points to keep in mind before setting up Hypertension Notifications on your Apple Watch:
- The feature is available only on Apple Watch Series 9 or later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later running the latest version of watchOS. This feature is not available with Apple Watch SE.
- You’ll also need an iPhone 11 or later with the latest version of iOS.
- Make sure Wrist Detection is turned on in your settings – this allows your watch to accurately track your heart data throughout the day.
- To use this feature, you must be 22 years or older, not pregnant, and have not been previously diagnosed with hypertension.
It’s important to note that this feature is not designed to diagnose, treat, or manage hypertension. Instead, it’s meant to help identify early patterns and encourage timely medical follow-up.
For many in Singapore who juggle demanding jobs, family commitments, and fast-paced city living, this update adds another layer of proactive health support – quietly and conveniently, right from the wrist.
