Cautionary Note re Using Wearables to Track Blood Pressure

As this WSJ article explains, nearly half of U.S. adults—more than 119 million people—have high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Wouldn’t it be convenient if a wearable health tracker could take measurements without the panic-inducing arm squeeze? Several devices have recently launched insights into blood-pressure trends, including Hilo, Whoop, Oura Ring, Pixel Watch, and Apple Watch. As someone with a family history of hypertension, I wanted to know if the cuffless tech could help me, or if they’re just pricey, anxiety-inducing doodads. The devices provided a good sense of my long-term trends, but they can’t entirely replace the arm squeeze—at least not yet. Further, while these health trackers alert you to changes, doctors warn they may give a false sense of security.

[EOP]