Google's AI Flags High Blood Pressure Using Smartwatch Sensors, No Cuff Needed
Google Research has presented an AI method that is said to detect high blood pressure using only the pulse and motion sensors of a commercially available smartwatch. No blood pressure cuff is required. The method is already available in the Google Health app, but it does not replace a formal diagnosis.
Google Research has developed an artificial intelligence that is said to detect high blood pressure using only data from a commercially available smartwatch. The system relies exclusively on pulse and motion sensors and does not require a blood pressure cuff. According to the company, the method achieves a detection rate of 65.8 percent and is said to outperform traditional measurement in the doctor's office.
The study involved 196 participants. The research is therefore based on a comparatively small sample. No further details are available on the composition of the group, on the comparison methodology beyond the stated detection rate, or on any independent validation. It therefore remains open whether the results can be applied to other population groups.
According to the available information, the technology is already available in the Google Health app. Users of a compatible smartwatch can therefore use it today. However, the company makes clear that the method does not replace a formal medical diagnosis. Any conspicuous result must still be clarified by a doctor.
The development is part of a growing number of efforts to analyze health data from everyday wearables. High blood pressure is considered one of the most important risk factors for heart attacks and strokes and often remains undetected for a long time. A measurement without a cuff could therefore lower the barrier to regular checkups. However, whether the method proves itself in practice will only become clear through larger, independent studies.
Source: the-decoder.com
5
