AI-powered smartwatch detects high blood pressure with sensitivity similar to office screening
Smartwatches may be able to detect hypertension (high blood pressure) with the help of an artificial intelligence (AI) system that interprets sensor readings, a paper in Nature reports. Tests of the system, trialed using a consumer smartwatch, show that it can detect hypertension at similar sensitivities to traditional office-based blood pressure screening methods.
A new AI-powered smartwatch has been shown to detect high blood pressure with accuracy similar to traditional office-based blood pressure screenings, according to a study published in Nature. Researchers found that the system, which uses optical and motion signals from a Google smartwatch, had a sensitivity of 65.8% for detecting hypertension, compared to 55.3% for traditional screenings.
Both methods also had equal specificities, avoiding false positives in 90% of cases. The smartwatch system correctly identified more cases of hypertension than office-based monitoring but the difference was not statistically significant. While the system cannot replace traditional cuff-based blood pressure monitoring, it could serve as a valuable tool for early detection, potentially reducing cardiovascular events.
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