Wearable fitness trackers are becoming increasingly popular as people look for ways to monitor their health and fitness. But how accurate are these devices when it comes to tracking blood pressure?
There is no doubt that fitness trackers have revolutionized how we think about our health and fitness. But when it comes to monitoring blood pressure, how accurate are fitness trackers for blood pressure?
What Does A Fitness Band Do To Measure Blood Pressure?
Fitness trackers are sensitive to blood pressure monitors and can measure it at the wrist. The wrist must be at the heart level to measure blood pressure more accurately. The measurement taken at the arm could also be inaccurate or higher than the one taken at your wrist. This is possible because the wrist’s arteries are smaller and less deep. This is how fitness bands measure blood pressure.
Most fitness trackers use the oscillometric in the morning and evening. The electronic sensor measures blood pressure monitors automatically. As a result, the smartwatch’s cuff is automatically inflated. This narrows blood vessels and prevents blood from flowing through them.
To allow blood to course, the pressure is slowly released. The pressure sensor will detect arterial pulsations and oscillations. The maximum value is recorded and used to calculate the systolic or diastolic blood pressure. This is how blood pressure can be calculated by the oscillometric method.
Another technique to accurately measure blood pressure is PPG. This is a heart rate sensor using a pulse oximeter. The principle of light absorption occurs when the sensor illuminates skin.
They don’t use any inflatable cuffs technology, making them less accurate than a sphygmomanometer. You can still get the best results if you follow the user guidelines.
If you are curious about the way fitness trackers are active, read this article: How Do Fitness Trackers Work?
How Can You Measure Your BP With A Fitness Tracker
Many fitness trackers are available on the market that can measure BP. All of them use almost the same method to measure BP. Below are the steps to do so.
- Relax and sit down.
- To be specific and compare the results, you can measure BP twice.
- The device should be worn around your wrist. Could you not make it too tight?
- Before measuring BP, avoid caffeine, exercise, and smoking.
- It will allow you to read better if your armrests are on a flat surface, such as a table with the top arm at heart level.
These are the steps you should follow when using a fitness monitor to measure your BP. Before using the fitness tracker, read the user’s manual.
How Accurate Are Fitness Trackers for Blood Pressure?
You can find out your Fitness Tracker blood pressure monitors. You can visit your doctor with the fitness tracker. You can then measure your BP using the fitness tracker and have it checked by your doctor. You can confirm that your fitness tracker is accurate if both readings are close.
The environment can affect the accuracy of the fitness tracker’s blood pressure readings. The BP at night is higher than it is during the day. Your BP will rise if you exercise, but it will drop slightly if you rest.
BP readings can also be affected by specific diets. By comparing the fitness tracker reading to a sphygmomanometer, you can check the accuracy.
You can confirm that your fitness tracker is accurate if the text is nearly identical. Does this answer the question: How accurate are fitness tracker’s blood pressure monitors?
PROS AND CONS Of Fitness Trackers That Measure BP
Here are the pros and cons of fitness trackers that include BP measurements.
PROS
- They are simple to use.
- They will keep you motivated.
- It can help you to adjust your fitness program.
- You can check your blood pressure at any hour, from anywhere.
- These tests will give you a clear picture of your heart health.
- You can also check your blood pressure from home without visiting a doctor.
- They also aid in managing high blood pressure and other health issues.
CONS
- They are sensitive to movement.
- They aren’t as precise as a sphygmomanometer.
FAQs
Is smartwatch blood pressure accurate?
The Bodimetrics performance monitoring and the reference had an average difference of 5.3 (4.7) mm Hg for SBP. Conclusions: Both the Everlast smartwatches and the BodiMetrics performance monitor we tested were not accurate enough for use as BP measurement devices.
Are Fitbits able to accurately measure blood pressure?
According to Eric Friedman (Vice President of Research at Fitbit), it’s very similar to pulse transit times but measures pulse at a slightly different pace than Samsung. These strategies have a drawback: they cannot reliably measure relative blood pressure.
Is it possible to measure blood pressure with a smartwatch?
Although blood pressure monitor watches can provide accurate readings, large-scale research has not demonstrated this. It may be more accurate to get consistent, reliable results by choosing a specifically designed look for this purpose than a fitness tracker with this feature.
Yamay smart watch blood pressure accuracy – Best fitness tracker with blood pressure monitor
Does Yamay smart watch take blood pressure? This watch can track your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen in a very convenient way, which makes it to be an excellent health assistant for you.
The study, published in the journal Hypertension, found that the watch was accurate within 5 mmHg of the actual blood pressure. This is a significant finding, as previous studies have found that other smartwatches are not as accurate in measuring blood pressure.
How do smartwatches measure blood pressure?
Standard PPG signals didn’t match up as well with the control blood pressure readings from a cuff as the Rockley signals did. Other smartwatches, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, can take blood pressure readings with the help of a PPG optical sensor.
Conclusion
Wearable fitness trackers have certainly changed how we think about health and fitness. Whether these devices help us lose weight or monitor our health, they have proven very useful. Whether they are accurate in their readings or not is another story altogether. The benefits of wearable fitness trackers are undeniable, and we’re likely to see more and more of them shortly. BSXInsight hopes this article is useful for you.
