Fitbit smartwatchesmay soon monitor your blood pressure
Many small-time brands have attempted smartwatches with blood pressure trackers but have failed in the accuracy department.
Ankita Chakravarti | April 8, 2021 | Updated 16:05 IST
Highlights
Fitbit s said to introduce a new sensor that would monitor the blood pressure of users.
Fitbit announced in its blog that its research arm, Fitbit Labs is launching a study to look at how Fitbit devices measure blood pressure.
The test will be rolled out to users in the United States, who are above the age of 20.
Fitbit is known for producing some of the best wearables. The company has over the years introduced many fitness tracking sensors that have always provided accurate readings. Now, the company is said to introduce a new sensor that would monitor the blood pressure of users. Many small-time brands have attempted smartwatches with blood pressure trackers but have failed in the accuracy department.
Photo by Fitbit
Fitbit is gearing up for its latest research initiative, this time focusing on how its smartwatches can measure blood pressure without the traditional arm-cuff method, according to a company blog post.
Beginning this month, U.S. Fitbit Sense users who are at least 20 years old can participate in the study. It will look into how pulse arrival time (PAT) can be used to measure blood pressure.
PAT is the time it takes for a pulse of blood to reach the wrist after a heartbeat. In previous internal Fitbit Labs studies, PAT was found to correlate with blood pressure, but the new study will extend those findings to a broader population, the company said.
Your Fitbit can t tell when you re angry yet, but it may soon know when your blood pressure spikes
Fitbit has been expanding the range of its tracking sensors since well before its acquisition by Google. Just last month, the company added support for monitoring blood oxygen saturation and skin temperature to the Charge 4, but now it s looking to expand beyond surface-level information. In an effort to combat high blood pressure, Fitbit is launching a study to determine if its devices can track changes in your heart, right from your wrist.
This month-long study conducted by Fitbit Labs aims to discover whether its wearables could measure Pulse Arrival Time. PAT is the amount of time it takes for your blood to reach your wrist after a heartbeat, which could track and monitor your blood pressure over time. Fitbit says that being able to view and measure blood pressure without a cuff would be a significant step in health tracking. Considering the average person doesn t have access to b