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At the moment Fitbit trackers can't track the Blood Pressure. However, multiple reports have confirmed that company is working on the model and soon enough we could see Fitbit wearables with working BP monitor.
What Is Blood Pressure?
For those who are not aware of what is exactly Blood Pressure and how it is affected, this is how you can understand it:
Imagine your body has a special system of pipes called blood vessels that carry blood all around. Just like you have a heart that pumps the blood, the blood vessels help carry it to different parts of your body.
Now, blood pressure is like the force or pressure of the blood pushing against the walls of the blood vessels. It’s a bit like when you blow up a balloon and feel the air pushing against your hands.
When the doctor measures your blood pressure, they use a special cuff that goes around your arm. It feels like a big hug! The cuff gets tight for a little bit, but it doesn’t hurt. It’s just checking how strong the blood is pushing against the walls of your blood vessels.
The doctor will tell you two numbers when they measure your blood pressure. One number is higher, and one is lower. The higher number tells us how hard the blood is pushing when your heart beats and squeezes out the blood. The lower number tells us how relaxed your heart is when it’s not beating.
Fitbit Trackers & Blood Pressure Tracking!
If you are the owner of Fitbit Sense 2 or any of the Fitbit latest creation you’d know how far Fitbit have come from the days of Clippers. Nowadays your Fitbit can easily measure SpO2, Resting Heart Rate, and Sleep Cycles. For sure, there are disappointments in the form of Fall Detection (which we sincerely hope will be fixed by the latest update or the new release). It’s hard to deny the quality of the new line-up of Fitbit. They are affordable, and they provide value.
“So can Fitbit measure the Blood Pressure?”
Unfortunately, as of now, you can’t use a Fitbit tracker to measure your Blood Pressure. Actually, you can’t use many smartwatches regardless of who is making them to track Blood Pressure. Even Apple Watches falls short here, and it’s not a surprise. It is extremely difficult to implement the functionality within the confined space of smartwatches.
But There Are Exceptions!
Alternative To Fitbit Trackers For BP Monitoring!
While there aren’t many smartwatches in the market that can give competent BP monitoring. There are some exceptions that are providing the functionality, and as the saying goes: “They are pretty darn good at it.”
However, they might not be for everyone, either way here is the list of alternatives that you can go for if you really need a BP monitor in your wearables.
- Omron HeartGuide: This smartwatch uses a cuffless method to measure blood pressure. It is one of the most accurate smartwatches on the market.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 6: This smartwatch can measure blood pressure and take ECGs. It is also one of the most popular smartwatches on the market.
- FitVII Smartwatch: This smartwatch is an affordable option that can measure blood pressure and heart rate.
- MorePro Activity Tracker: This smartwatch is another affordable option that can measure blood pressure and heart rate.
- KOSPET SmartWatch with Full Day Heart Monitoring: This smartwatch is a good option for athletes and people who want to track their heart rate and blood pressure throughout the day.
- Bitine SmartWatch Blood Pressure Monitor: This smartwatch is a budget-friendly option that can measure blood pressure and heart rate.
Future Plans. The Fitbit Patent
Just because no current Fitbit device can’t track Blood Pressure it doesn’t mean that no Fitbit tracker will ever do it. As we mentioned above in 2022 Fitbit filed the patent for the tiny Blood Pressure monitor that they plan to integrate in their trackers. However, it is a work in progress, test, and trials are still going on and for now very little is known if the functionality will be available or not!
When asked during the interview this is what Fitbit’s VP of Research said about the company’s attempt to integrate Blood Pressure Monitoring:
“It’s a hard scientific challenge, and a lot of work remains to be done to understand the best way to do this, but we have a history of advancing technology to make previously inaccessible health metrics available to Fitbit users from their wrist, so it’s a challenge we’re very passionate about solving.”
How Potential Blood Pressure Monitor Will Work In Fitbit?
While it is unclear how Fitbit will solve the complex issue at hand, from what seems possible, many believe (even at Fitbit) that the company will use a non-invasive method to monitor the BP. The best manner for this is to make use of PTA (Pulse Arrival Time).
Pulse arrival time refers to the time it takes for a pulse or heartbeat to reach a certain location in your body. When your heart beats, it sends a wave of pressure through your arteries, and this wave is felt as a pulse in different parts of your body, such as your wrist or neck.
In the patent that is filed by Fitbit, the device is supposed to have a motion sensor that will take Blood Pulse Amplitude when the user will press their finger against the tracker.
During 2021 many US-based Fitbit users were asked to sign up for the special tests that were focused on PTA and how it can be used to link up with Blood Pressure. Although, for now, we haven’t heard anything back, it is safe to assume that many minds are working together behind the scenes to take us one step closer to the day when measuring your Blood Pressure could be as easy as seeing the distance ran or time slept.
Frequently Asked Questions
While Fitbit trackers can’t track the Blood Pressure there are some fitness watches that does provide this functionality.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 can track the Blood Pressure. So if you have it then yes you can check it with your smartwatch.
Since there are too many Android phones to give a general answer, the usual consensus is that tracking Blood Pressure using any phone is unreliable activity and thus shouldn’t be paid heed.
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