**Oura Health Advances into Blood Pressure Monitoring with New Study**
*By Samantha Kelly, Bloomberg*
Finnish smart ring maker Oura Health Oy is the latest wearable technology company venturing into blood pressure monitoring. On Monday, the startup announced plans to launch a Blood Pressure Profile study later this year. The study is designed to detect early signs of hypertension or elevated blood pressure without displaying actual systolic or diastolic readings, as part of Oura’s efforts to develop a future consumer feature.
The upcoming study will track users’ data without the need for a traditional cuff, providing information to help users better understand their potential risk levels. According to the World Health Organization, hypertension affects approximately 1.3 billion adults worldwide and is a significant risk factor for stroke, heart attacks, and kidney disease. Fortunately, it can often be managed effectively through lifestyle changes and medical interventions.
“This study will be used to refine and validate a future feature for submission to the FDA for clearance,” said Ricky Bloomfield, Oura’s chief medical officer, in an interview. He added, “It will explore how Oura can identify early signs of hypertension by passively tracking key signals in the background — offering members a simple, seamless way to uncover hidden risks before they become serious.”
This announcement follows closely after Apple Inc. introduced a similar hypertension detection system for the Apple Watch just last month. Apple’s tool analyzes data from the device’s heart sensor over a 30-day period, assessing how blood vessels respond to heartbeats and notifying users if signs of chronic hypertension are detected.
Bloomfield highlighted the advantages of a ring-style design, noting that it enables more accurate physiological signal capture since it sits directly over arteries in the finger.
Oura has received Institutional Review Board approval for the study, which will soon launch for U.S. users within the Oura Labs section of the company’s app. The company also plans to engage with European regulators in the future.
The move into blood pressure tracking reflects a broader industry trend. Consumer hardware makers are increasingly integrating sophisticated health monitoring tools into fitness bands and smartwatches, blurring the lines between gadgets and medical devices.
One notable example is Whoop Inc., maker of screenless fitness bands, which is currently pushing back against FDA demands to disable its own blood pressure tracking tool. The FDA flagged the company’s Whoop MG tracker (short for Medical Grade) as a medical device that has not received certification for blood pressure measurement.
In addition to blood pressure monitoring, Oura is rolling out a new chronic stress feature. This tool tracks how users respond to stress over time by analyzing factors such as sleep continuity, heart stress responses, micromovements during sleep, and temperature regulation.
The Oura app is also being updated with new sections to facilitate easier tracking of vital signs at a glance, including sleep, stress, and cardiovascular trends. It will feature new Habits and Routines tabs that demonstrate how daily behaviors impact overall health.
For users tracking menstrual and fertility cycles, insights will be expanded from a one-month to a 12-month view, offering a broader perspective on physiological changes over time.
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https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/10/20/oura-prepares-apple-watch-like-hypertension-detection-for-its-smart-ring/