Apple Watch owners in Israel will be able to activate one of the most significant health features launched by Apple in recent years: Hypertension alerts. This is a system capable of identifying signs of chronic high blood pressure, a condition often referred to as "the silent killer" due to its lack of external symptoms.
The new feature uses existing sensors in the watch to passively monitor the vascular response to heartbeats, thereby providing an additional layer of medical protection available to every user directly from the wrist, without the need for active intervention.
The importance of continuous monitoring stems from the fact that hypertension is the most central risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and kidney diseases, affecting approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide. In many cases, even occasional visits to the doctor do not reveal the problem, as a single measurement in the clinic may be influenced by momentary factors and not reflect the chronic condition. This is where Apple's algorithm comes into play, scanning data over 30–day periods. If consistent patterns of deviation are identified, the user receives a focused alert allowing them to act before irreversible damage is caused.
Behind the scenes, the system relies on large–scale medical studies that included over 100,000 participants. Although the watch does not replace a standard medical measurement device, it serves as a critical initial marker. Apple recommends that those who receive an alert perform a seven–day follow–up using an external blood pressure cuff and share the findings with their doctor. With the deployment of the feature in Israel and additional markets, it is estimated that in the first year alone, over a million people who were completely unaware of their medical condition will be diagnosed, turning the watch from a technological accessory into a truly life–saving tool.