Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
Google has been spotted working on a blood pressure monitoring feature for the Pixel Watch.
The feature appears to be similar to Apple’s approach, passively analyzing data to alert users of potential hypertension risk.
The company is gearing up to launch a Fitbit hypertension study to advance research on the upcoming feature.
Smartwatch makers have been attempting to integrate blood pressure monitoring technology into their watches for some time now. Several watches come with this feature, each employing a different approach to blood pressure monitoring, with their own pros and cons. Now, Google also wants to jump onto the bandwagon, as it could bring blood pressure notifications to the Pixel Watch.
On the Galaxy Watch 4 and newer, Samsung added the ability to directly measure blood pressure, provided you calibrate the watch with a conventional cuff-type blood pressure monitor (sphygmomanometer) every month.
HUAWEI’s Watch D2 features cuff-style measurements directly on the watch through inflatable straps, eliminating the need for a cuff-type blood pressure monitor.
Apple took a different approach — instead of letting users directly measure their blood pressure through the Apple Watch Series 9 and newer, it only displays an alert, informing the user of a possible hypertension risk, so that they can then seek appropriate medical advice.
On watches that don’t have a cuff-style measurement system, the smartwatch uses data from the optical heart sensor to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to their heartbeat. Samsung watches require initial setup and regular calibration to display estimates of systolic and diastolic pressure. Apple instead uses an algorithm to review 30-day data in the background passively, and notifies users if it detects consistent signs of hypertension, i.e., chronic high blood pressure.
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Apple stated that its hypertension alert feature was developed using advanced machine learning and training data from multiple studies involving over 100,000 participants. Its performance was then validated in a clinical study of over 2,000 participants.
Google is now gearing up to do something similar to what Apple has done. Within the latest v4.53 release of the Fitbit app, we’ve spotted several references to an upcoming Fitbit Hypertension Study that will help Google advance research for hypertension screening with the Pixel Watch.
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Copy TextFitbit Hypertension Study
A Fitbit Labs Study to advance research on identifying signs of Hypertension.
The information provided by this lab output is for research and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
The hypertension monitoring functionality is currently codenamed “tidal.” The study will be under the Fitbit Labs banner, and Google notes that the output is for research and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
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Copy TextProvide your consent to join the study and fill out questionnaires.
If selected, all participants will have sensor data collected from their watch during normal wear. A select group will also be asked to wear a monitor to measure blood pressure for 24 hours.
Participants randomly selected to wear a 24 hour BP monitor will be compensated $50 for completing and returning equipment.
This study may increase your Pixel Watch’s battery consumption.
Users who sign up for the study will first be asked to fill out a questionnaire. If they are selected, sensor data from their Pixel Watch will be collected. Some participants will also be asked to wear a blood pressure monitor for 24 hours, and they will be compensated $50 for completing the task and returning the equipment.
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Copy TextNext, you’ll complete a series of questionnaires to help us select participants to receive a BP monitor. This will take about five minutes.
Filling out the questionnaire will take approximately five minutes, so you will need to answer several questions.
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Copy Text”You are now enrolled in the study. We are now reviewing enrollments to select participants for 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. If you are chosen for this next step, we will be in touch with more details. In the meantime, please continue to wear your watch as you normally would. This allows us to gather the necessary sensor data for this initial phase of the study, with no extra effort needed from you. Thank you for your consent to join the Fitbit Hypertension study. Your interest in helping us advance research for hypertension screening with the Pixel Watch is greatly appreciated.”
Google notes that for most users, no extra effort is needed as the Pixel Watch will automatically gather the necessary sensor data.
We also spotted this image, titled “tidal_lab_intro_image,” which will likely be used on one of the enrollment screens:
AssembleDebug / Android Authority
It remains to be seen how many users Google enlists for their study, since Apple claims a considerable sample size for its detection algorithm. We also don’t know if this hypertension notification will be available for any existing Pixel Watch or is reserved for a future Pixel Watch. Since the data collection exercise is based on the sensors on the existing hardware, there’s a good chance that older Pixel Watches will also receive the feature. We hope to learn more soon.
⚠️ An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
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