Doctors may soon be able to predict a serious blood pressure crisis three days before it happens, using a technology that combines wearable devices with artificial intelligence, according to a study.
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The study, announced by the American Heart Association, involved 4,190 people with high blood pressure. It showed that an intelligent system can analyse daily changes in blood pressure and heart rate, and detect patterns that may signal a dangerous spike requiring medical intervention. Notably, early intervention after a warning was linked to a 61% drop in hypertensive crises and a 45% drop in emergency room visits, compared with patients who did not receive similar intervention.
However, the results do not mean that currently available smartwatches can predict these crises on their own. The researchers also relied on specialised devices to measure blood pressure, according to a report by Sky News Arabia.
How did the system detect the risk?
The researchers followed 4,190 people aged between 40 and 85, all with stage 2 hypertension, for one year at a hospital in Pakistan.
Participants used a blood pressure monitor with a cuff wrapped around the arm, along with a wrist-worn device that tracked heart indicators.
During the study, 312 participants experienced a total of 418 hypertensive crises.
The AI system was able to identify the patients most at risk of these crises up to 72 hours before they occurred.
Of those who received a warning, about 32% went on to have a crisis, while 97.4% of those who did not receive a warning had no crisis. These figures show the system's ability to detect risk, but they also reveal that most warnings were not followed by an actual crisis.
What happens to blood pressure during sleep?
The system did not rely on a single high reading. It analysed 47 health indicators, including blood pressure changes during sleep and waking, and heart rate.
The researchers identified two signs that were strongly linked to the likelihood of a crisis.
The first is a failure of blood pressure to drop during sleep, even though it normally falls during rest.
The second is a rise of more than 35 mmHg after waking, compared with the level during the night. The absence of a nighttime drop was linked to about five times higher odds of a crisis, while a sharp rise in the morning was linked to about four times higher odds.
This highlights the importance of repeated monitoring, since a single clinic measurement may not capture these changes.
Can your watch do this?
For now, the answer is no, at least not in the way used in the study.
The system relied on a dedicated blood pressure monitor alongside a wearable device, and then used artificial intelligence to analyse the data.
Although some smartwatches can track heart rate and sleep, that is different from predicting a hypertensive crisis several days in advance.
The American Heart Association confirmed that approved blood pressure monitors, which use a cuff around the upper arm, remain the recommended choice for home monitoring.
Can the crisis be prevented?
Early warning may give doctors a chance to review a patient's condition, check how well they are following their treatment, and adjust medication where necessary.
However, the study was conducted at a single hospital, its results are preliminary, and it has not yet been published as a full peer-reviewed paper.
Also, the link between early intervention and fewer crises does not by itself prove that the system prevented them.
Until the technology's effectiveness is confirmed, regular monitoring and adherence to treatment remain essential.
Blood pressure above 180/120 accompanied by chest pain, shortness of breath, vision problems or difficulty speaking requires immediate emergency medical help.
The most important achievement of this technology may be moving from detecting a blood pressure crisis after it happens to recognising the warning signs that precede it, giving the patient and the doctor time to act.
