The Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association has said that 76.4 million US adults have high blood pressure indicating hypertension. Blood pressure readings are especially important if you have health conditions such as diabetes, or other heart-related illnesses. A recent Reddit thread on the topic showed that many people want a blood pressure monitor that can connect with their Apple Watch to help track their blood pressure, even while on the go. While there isn’t a built-in blood pressure sensor on the Apple Watch, you can do at home blood pressure monitoring if you have a compatible blood pressure monitor. With your smartwatch, you can see how your blood pressure varies and manage your health with ease.
Connecting a third-party blood pressure cuff to your Apple Watch makes it easier for you to keep track of your readings. Keep in mind, this won’t replace doctor’s checkups, but it does offer an easy way to get your blood pressure measured, real-time insights, early issue detection and organized data for your next appointment.
If you don’t have these devices yet and are one of the 38% of US adults who, according to a recent CNET survey, feel pressured to make purchases before the tariffs rise, now could be a good time. Here’s how to use your Apple Watch to monitor blood pressure, along with compatible devices.
Read more: Find out if your COVID tests are expired
How blood pressure measurement works with your Apple Watch
The Health app on your Apple Watch provides a convenient method to consolidate your blood pressure information in one location on a device that remains on your wrist most hours of the day.
While the smartwatch itself cannot directly measure your blood pressure alone, there are compatible tools and devices available that can pair with it. These devices, typically wireless monitors that link to your iPhone or Apple Watch, come with an arm cuff and a dedicated app, enabling seamless synchronization of data to your Apple Watch’s Health app.
Read more: Using an Apple Watch for the First Time Transformed My Relationship With Self Care
Discover the top devices that can sync with your Apple Watch below.
Blood pressure devices that connect with your Apple Watch
Here are three wireless blood pressure monitors that sync to your Apple Watch’s Health app.
- Omron Evolv Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor ($60): The portable monitor provides precise clinical readings and features a built-in display that conveniently shows your results. Through Bluetooth connectivity, the Omron BPM effortlessly syncs with your Apple Watch via the Omron Connect mobile app.
- Withings Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor ($130): This upper arm monitor offers immediate color-coded feedback and generates a comprehensive chart of your previous measurements for easy monitoring. You can seamlessly connect your Withings BPM to your Apple Watch using Bluetooth.
- iHealth Feel Wireless Arm Blood Pressure Monitor ($56): The device can save up to 200 readings, and you can view your systolic and diastolic blood pressure via the iHealth App and see if your reading is normal or above average. The iHealth blood pressure monitor syncs to your Apple Watch using Bluetooth.
Read more: Apple Wants You to Start Sleeping With Your Apple Watch. Its Health VP Explains Why
How to get blood pressure control through exercise
Regular physical activity is widely recognized for promoting a strong and healthy heart, which can regulate blood pressure.
- Utilize your Apple Watch to monitor your daily step count and ensure you’re meeting your targets.
- The smartwatch’s sensor on the back can track your heart rate. A decrease in your resting heart rate indicates progress toward your fitness objectives.
- You can log your exercise with the watch, which offers a selection of 12 workouts or can automatically recognize your activity.
- During workouts, you can conveniently keep an eye on your heart rate and establish thresholds to alert you if it gets too high or low.
Read more: Find out your blood type with these methods
For a 24 hour monitoring, you’ll need to get a referral from a doctor and they will help you find the appropriate device.
There are a lot more factors that can cause an inaccurate reading with wrist blood pressure monitors compared to upper arm blood pressure measuring devices. The arteries in the wrist are smaller, making it harder for the monitor to read the blood flow.
A few tips for getting a good reading when measuring blood pressure are:
- For 30 minutes before you measure no smoking, caffeine or exercise.
- For 5 minutes before, relax, sitting calmly.
- Take your medication before you measure.
- Look at your monitor and sit as it recommends.
- Always use the same arm.
