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Hypertension, often dubbed the "silent killer", rarely shows symptoms before it's too late. Apple Watch users in Malaysia can now finally access a high-tech early warning system to detect the condition
The new hypertension notifications feature uses the optical heart sensor to passively monitor and analyse how blood vessels respond to every beat.
By reviewing 30 days of data, the watch can spot consistent signs of chronic high blood pressure that might be overlooked during a single doctor's visit.
This update is intended for users aged 22 and above who are not pregnant and have no prior diagnosis of the condition
To get started, users need an Apple Watch Series 9, an Apple Watch Ultra 2, or any newer model running the latest watchOS.
The algorithm was developed using data from over 100,000 participants and validated in clinical studies.
If the watch pings a user with a notification, it means it has identified a pattern of hypertension in heart data from the last 30 days.
Apple recommends that users who receive an alert remain calm and use the findings to consult a health expert
The tech giant suggested logging blood pressure for seven days using a third-party cuff, and sharing those results with a doctor.
Users can enable the feature by heading to the Health app on their iPhone and looking under the 'Health Checklist' section
It is a small step that could help notify over one million people globally of their undiagnosed condition within the next year.
