Devices such as the Apple watch and the Fitbit are known for helping people keep track of certain important metrics while they are exercising or dieting in order to improve their health. But it turns out that these watches may be able to do a whole lot more, such as diagnosing hypertension and sleep apnea.

Apple Watch and Fitbit Can Diagnose Hypertension and Sleep Apnea

Cardiogram and the UCSF Health Lab recently published a study revealing that wearables, such as Apple Watch and Fitbit, are surprisingly accurate when it comes to diagnosing hypertension and sleep apnea. In fact, research revealed that wearables diagnose hypertension with 82 percent accuracy and sleep apnea with ninety percent accuracy. Over 6,000 subjects were tested over the course of the study. Of the subjects, thirty-seven percent had hypertension and 17 percent had sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes a person’s breathing to be regularly disrupted while asleep. Hypertension is the condition of having high blood pressure. These two conditions affect millions of Americans. Many Americans don’t even realize they have either of these conditions; it’s estimated by the American Sleep Apnea Association over 80 percent of Americans who suffer from sleep apnea don’t realize it.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), roughly 75 million Americans suffer from hypertension, which accounts for around twenty-nine percent of the U.S. population.

Apple and Fitbit are both looking into expanding their medical research into hypertension and sleep apnea as well as abnormal heart rhythms. They realize their wearables could provide an easy and effective way for individuals to recognize there is something wrong with their bodies and to provide an accurate diagnosis of those conditions. Realizing something is wrong as a result of a reading provided from a wearable could encourage people to visit their doctors, which, in turn, could help to save lives.

It turns out that the Apple Watch and Fitbit could be incredibly beneficial in helping to diagnose certain conditions, such as sleep apnea and hypertension. For all the latest health news, visit us at The Benefits Store today.