8 months ago
Cuffless Devices for Blood Pressure: Effectiveness and Concerns
Cuffless devices like smartwatches and rings are becoming popular for measuring blood pressure without using a traditional cuff.
However, experts are still unsure about how accurate these devices are.
A recent report by the American Heart Association says that while these devices are convenient and can take many readings, we don't yet know if these readings are useful for making medical decisions.
The report also says that these devices are being sold to the public faster than scientists can study them.
The AHA recommends not relying on these devices for accurate blood pressure measurements until they are proven to be more precise.
High blood pressure is a big problem, affecting nearly half of adults in the US and 1.4 billion people worldwide.
Cuffless devices like smartwatches and rings are convenient but their accuracy is still uncertain.
The American Heart Association (AHA) highlights the lack of clinical outcome data for these devices.
The AHA recommends avoiding reliance on cuffless devices until they demonstrate greater precision.
High blood pressure affects nearly half of US adults (122 million) and 1.4 billion adults globally.
The speed of commercialization of these devices has outpaced scientific validation.
- Who
- American Heart Association (AHA) and experts in the field
- What
- Effectiveness and limitations of cuffless blood pressure devices
- Where
- Published in the AHA's journal Hypertension
- When
- Latest insights from a recent scientific statement
- Why
- To evaluate the accuracy and clinical relevance of cuffless devices
Key facts
- Device Types
- Smartwatches, rings, fingertip monitors
- Measurement Method
- Cuffless technology
- Key Limitation
- Lack of clinical outcome data
- AHA/ACC Recommendation
- Avoid reliance until precision improves
- US High Blood Pressure Prevalence
- Nearly half of US adults (122 million)
- Global High Blood Pressure Prevalence
- 1.4 billion adults
Quotes
American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension
A scientific journal published by the American Heart Association
“Cuffless BP devices, which are increasingly available for purchase on the international market, have the potential to remove barriers to BP measurement in both research and clinical care. However, there are unanswered questions on whether, how, and in what settings these devices may be appropriate for use.”
livemint.com
“Cuffless blood pressure devices are easy to use, convenient and capable of frequent or continuous monitoring, potentially providing insights into blood pressure changes during daily life and sleep. However, the speed of commercialization has outpaced the science.”
livemint.com
2025 AHA/ACC High Blood Pressure Guideline
A guideline published by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology
“Reliance on cuffless devices, including smartwatches, for accurate blood pressure measurements should be avoided until these devices demonstrate greater precision and reliability.”
livemint.com
Sources
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