Bloomberg: 2024 Apple Watch to Gain Blood Pressure Monitoring and Sleep Apnea Detection

[MacRumors]

Apple plans to add blood pressure monitoring and sleep apnea detection to an Apple Watch with an updated design in 2024, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In a report covering the arc of Apple's heath-related ambitions, Gurman outlines the first iteration of the company's "pathbreaking" blood pressure sensor technology coming next year that will include hypertension detection:

The system is designed to just tell a user if their blood pressure is trending upward and to offer a journal for the user to jot down what was happening when hypertension occurred. To avoid potentially giving a misdiagnosis, the feature will then direct a user to talk to their doctor or check their blood pressure with a traditional cuff, which can provide exact systolic and diastolic measurements.

A future version of the system in development can provide exact numbers and even diagnose related conditions, according to Gurman. However, these enhancements "remain far off," he adds.

Also coming in 2024 is an Apple Watch-based sleep apnea detection feature. According to the report, it will use sleep and breathing patterns to estimate whether someone has the condition, and then direct users to see a physician.

As previously reported, Apple is also working on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring. Apple's system is said to use a silicon photonics chip to shine light from a laser under the skin to determine the concentration of glucose in the body.

The glucose monitoring has been designed in a similar way to the blood pressure system, in that it currently monitors how a person's blood sugar is trending and warns users of pre-diabetes, rather than offer an actual blood sugar reading.

However, Apple's blood glucose monitoring efforts remain unlikely to show up in a product for "at least a few years," according to Gurman's latest report, citing people with knowledge of the efforts.

Away from Apple Watch, Apple is also said to be on course to bring hearing aid detection to AirPods in 2024. Equipped with the new feature, AirPods will be able to function as an over-the-counter hearing aid and be able to perform the hearing tests typically administered in audiologists' offices.

Elsewhere, Apple is said to be continuing to explore ways to make the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset into a health device, as reported previously by The Information. Anti-anxiety and enhanced meditation features are being worked on, as well as a virtual-reality system to reinforce positive thinking and improve mental health.

Apple has also been studying using the sensors in the device to scan a wearer's eyes for cognitive health data, while a headset version of Fitness+ "remains on the table," according to Gurman.

The Bloomberg report additionally includes some interesting backstory on Apple's evolving health and healthcare initiatives in recent years, as well as an update on the company's paid health coaching service in development. You can read the full piece here.

Article Link: Bloomberg: 2024 Apple Watch to Gain Blood Pressure Monitoring and Sleep Apnea Detection

 

[Mac_The_Ripper]

If the information captured is accurate, this will be outstanding!

 

[cocky jeremy]

About time. This has been rumored for years now.

 

[Saturn007]

Gurman, here again, is engaging in attention seeking, especially trying to change the subject after his dismal October predictions.

By the way, titling this as coming from “Bloomberg” is misleading. It’s Gurman, not the board or the Bloomberg company, who is asserting this.

This common error is akin to those who report a “Harvard study” as if it came from the university and had its imprimatur rather than simply being a study from a single professor or a couple of researchers located there.

Given Gurman's dismal track record, take this prediction with a large block of salt! Also, look for it to change — in details, and time frame, with more and more hedges and qualifiers.

Bloomberg News would soon fold if its reputation were contigent on Gurman's pronouncements! 🙈 🔥 ❌ 😁

 

[ELman]

"AirPods will be able to function as an over-the-counter hearing aid"

If this is true it would be nice to have more color options.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I don't believe a thing Gurman says beforehand.

 

[adrianlondon]

If both readings are accurate, this will be outstanding!

"The system is designed to just tell a user if their blood pressure is trending upward"

I did some research last year on wearable blood pressure monitors. So far, the only one which exists (and is approved as being clinically valid) is https://aktiia.com/uk/blood-pressure-monitor.

It comes supplied with an arm cuff which is used regularly to calibrate the watch.

As Gurman guesses, the new Apple watch can only work out whether blood pressure is increasing (or decreasing). It's like those fat-percentage scales - they're not at all accurate but they are consistent so can usually report if values are increasing or drecreasing.

 

[schneeland]

Would be a reason for me to upgrade from my series 7. But it seems a bit early to get excited. If the rumor resurfaces a few weeks before next years announcement date, I'd be willing to believe they are actually ready to ship blood pressure detection.

 

[BorisDG]

I'm hoping to be true. I was going to upgrade from 8 to 9, but I guess I'm gonna wait.

 

[Paul Shields]

Sleep Apnea detection would be great if I didn't have to choose between wearing the watch during the day or through the night due to battery life.

 

[jonnysods]

Blood pressure monitoring? Oh my gosh please say it's true. I resisted replacing my AW6, this gives me enough resilience to hold out 11 months longer!

 

[Mac_The_Ripper]

"The system is designed to just tell a user if their blood pressure is trending upward"

I did some research last year on wearable blood pressure monitors. So far, the only one which exists (and is approved as being clinically valid) is https://aktiia.com/uk/blood-pressure-monitor.

It comes supplied with an arm cuff which is used regularly to calibrate the watch.

As Gurman guesses, the new Apple watch can only work out whether blood pressure is increasing (or decreasing). It's like those fat-percentage scales - they're not at all accurate but they are consistent so can usually report if values are increasing or drecreasing.

That is good info to have though. Good stuff!

 

[deebinem]

I already had a sleep apnea detection system in place: my partner. She let me know how difficult my "running a chainsaw" was to sleep next to so I've been using a CPAP for years and have never slept better!

 

[I7guy]

Obviously, very useful additions to the arsenal of features that are already there.

 

[deebinem]

Sleep Apnea detection would be great if I didn't have to choose between wearing the watch during the day or through the night due to battery life.

I thought newer (>AW7) devices had quicker recharge times so couldn't you throw it on the charger for 10 minutes before bed?

But yes, I get it. I wish newer devices would run longer than they do but like my ex-father-in-law used to say: You can wish in one hand and sh*t in the other and see which one fills up faster

 

[BorisDG]

I mean makes sense, because we already had performance bump in 9 and no new sensors. I don't expect new chip other than "rebranding" like in the past.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Sleep Apnea detection would be great if I didn't have to choose between wearing the watch during the day or through the night due to battery life.

I wear my Apple Watch during the day and night. It doesn't take long to charge it up enough to get through the night. I have an AW8 currently and can get charged enough in minutes (10 is plenty). Even with my slower charging AW4, I could get charged up enough within 20 - 30 minutes to easily last through the night.

I typically just charge for about an hour before bed. If that schedule doesn't work, I top up at times that do during the day.

 

[sparkinstx]

If they can sell them here - first, let's see how the Masimo lawsuit works out.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

If the information captured is accurate, this will be outstanding!

yah this is HUGE

 

[MrMojo1]

Was waiting for the BP feature.
May include a feature for sleep apnea? How would it work for those already using a CPAP?
IF the rumour is true, then it’s time to upgrade.
Take my money! 💸

 

[bradman83]

Gurman, here again, is engaging in attention seeking, especially trying to change the subject after his dismal October predictions.

By the way, titling this as coming from “Bloomberg” is misleading. It’s Gurman, not the board or the Bloomberg company, who is asserting this.

This common error is akin to those who report a “Harvard study” as if it came from the university and had its imprimatur rather than simply being a study from a single professor or a couple of researchers located there.

Given Gurman's dismal track record, take this prediction with a large block of salt! Also, look for it to change — in details, and time frame, with more and more hedges and qualifiers.

Bloomberg News would soon fold if its reputation were contigent on Gurman's pronouncements! 🙈 🔥 ❌ 😁

What dismal track record? Gurman has been right more often than not. He was one of the first analysts to turn around and predict there would be a Mac event in October, he predicted the launch of the 15" MBA in June, the January 2023 MBP refresh, and the October 2022 press release iPad updates. There are plenty of websites that track rumor source reliability and give Gurman an 80% or higher accuracy rating, so I don't understand the hate he gets for the occasional times he misses the mark.

 

[Braunschweiger]

This and a new design would be a day one purchase.

 

[CEmajr]

Blood pressure monitoring would be an automatic upgrade. That's a really big deal if they can pull it off.

 

[victorvictoria]

I think we all knew that Apple had big ambitions for the watch in the medical arena. But rumors are just rumors. I'd reserve judgement on their accuracy and effectiveness if/when they're implemented.

 

[deebinem]

What dismal track record? Gurman has been right more often than not. He was one of the first analysts to turn around and predict there would be a Mac event in October, he predicted the launch of the 15" MBA in June, the January 2023 MBP refresh, and the October 2022 press release iPad updates. There are plenty of websites that track rumor source reliability and give Gurman an 80% or higher accuracy rating, so I don't understand the hate he gets for the occasional times he misses the mark.

Yeah, even MR seems to rely heavily on his predictions: