Comparison of blood pressure measurements between the Huawei Watch D smartwatch application and the validated Omron M3 Intellisense device: Observational study

Popular wearable devices that record a variety of health metrics, such as real-time blood pressure (BP), could play a role in detecting hypertension in the population. The objective of this study was to compare the validity of the Huawei D device with that of the Omron M3 Intellisense device used by health workers. Sampling was used to obtain patients with normal and abnormal BP. Measurements were taken on the wrist via the Huawei Watch D, while measurements were made using the Omron M3 Intellisense (prevalidated) device used by experienced healthcare personnel at the health centre. A total of 100 normotensive and 100 hypertensive patients were analysed. The concordance statistics were calculated, and linear regression analysis was performed. The intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the concordance between the instruments used in the measurement and among the observers who made the measurements under a two-factor mixed-effects model, with calculation of the degree of absolute concordance in mean measurements. We found moderate results (systolic blood pressure (SBP) at 30 and 60 min and heart rate at 30 min) and nil for the rest [0.63 (0.36-0.78) < 0.001]; in addition, the comparison of the two groups was verified by a Bland-Altamn graph, in which the disparity of the results was observed. The Huawei D BP measuring device was shown to be relatively effective for measuring BP in hypertensive patients. However, the specificity of BP measurement in normotensive patients was not as reliable as in hypertensive patients.