Scientists have discovered how Apple Watch can help people with hypertension

Apple Watch - with all the prospects of this product - it’s too early to even call it a home medical device, putting them on a par with household blood pressure monitors and blood glucose meters. The specificity of the applied diagnostic techniques is affected. However, as a research tool, working in the future, Apple branded smart watches are quite suitable. This was once again confirmed by scientists at the University of California at San Francisco, who used the Apple Watch to investigate the causes of high blood pressure and came to very interesting and far-reaching conclusions.

Hypertension is a dangerous phenomenon, but Apple Watch will help to cope with it

The study involved 638 people of different ages who were not suffering from hypertension: the average systolic (upper) pressure in the group was 122 mm. Hg. Art., and diastolic (lower) - 76 mm. Hg. Art. Thus, it was planned to fulfill the condition of the objectivity of the experiment. The subjects were required to wear an Apple Watch throughout the day so that the clock would count the number of steps taken per day, which, as it turned out, was directly correlated with people's blood pressure, regardless of age.

Pedometer on Apple Watch

The clock does not have to measure pressure. It would be better if they begin to encourage patients with hypertension to walk more

The study lasted about five months, and during this time, subjects took an average of about 7,500 steps each day. But the more passed, the lower their pressure was. So, for every 1000 steps, systolic blood pressure in subjects decreased on average by 0.45 mm. Hg. Art., and for every 10,000 steps - 2.25 mm. Hg. Art. Indeed, this is not such a noticeable decrease, which may be expected by people suffering from hypertension, but we must not forget that the subjects initially had normal upper and lower pressure numbers. Therefore, we can assume that in the case of hypertensives, the effect will be more noticeable.

According to the authors of the experiment, who are certified cardiologists, their experience can serve as evidence for two aspects at once. Firstly, it shows that movement is an effective method for the prevention of hypertension, and secondly, it confirms that the Apple Watch can serve, if not a diagnostic tool, then it’s quite a research tool that, although it cannot measure pressure independently, but at least least will monitor the user’s implementation of certain activities that contribute to his recovery.

Apple Watch and high blood pressure

I want to emphasize that the experiment can not be considered evidence that a large number of steps can alleviate or completely get rid of the symptoms of hypertension. Moreover, it is generally accepted that at elevated pressure it is better to be at rest. However, the results of our experience can form the basis of a new study and reverse the idea of cardiologists about the causes of high blood pressure and how to deal with it - not least thanks to Apple Watch, ”said Mayank Sardana, the head of the study.

Personally, I like studies like this much more than the attempts of scientists and developers to train the Apple Watch to determine all the diseases in the world, based solely on the data of the heart rate monitor. Despite the fact that the work of the heart really changes with one or another disorder, the diagnostic capabilities of smart watches are still too insignificant to seriously talk about it. But in the case of the pedometer, everything is simple and clear. You walk more - you are engaged in the prevention of hypertension, you sit at home all day and do not move - you bring it closer and aggravate your condition. Now the main thing is that Apple doesn’t stand aside and try to implement a mechanism in watchOS that would make users just walk around, especially since it’s not as difficult as teaching a watch to take an ECG or taking blood pressure measurements.