Thursday, October 08, 2026

 

Top AI tools accurately identified validated home BP monitors only about 2/3 of the time



American Heart Association Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026 – Moderated Poster #TH125



American Heart Association

Facebook
XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail






Research Highlights:

  • Three of the top four popular artificial intelligence (AI) tools – OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot and Perplexity AI – could not consistently identify if a home blood pressure monitor had passed clinical validation testing, with accuracy only 63% to 83% of the time. Google Gemini performed better but still provided incorrect responses about 10% to 15% of the time.
  • All four tools misidentified various home blood pressure monitors as not meeting clinical standards even though the AI tool was verifying against the independent registries that list only validated blood pressure monitors.
  • Researchers advise healthcare professionals and the public to confirm validation of home blood pressure monitors according to recognized independent, free and publicly available registries.
  • Note: The studies featured in this news release are research abstracts. Abstracts presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, and the findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Embargoed until 8 a.m. ET/7 a.m. CT, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026

Arlington, Va., Oct. 8, 2026 — Three of four leading AI-powered search tools accurately identified home blood pressure monitors that met validated clinical standards only 63%-83% of the time, according to preliminary research being presented at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026. The meeting is in Arlington, Virginia, October 7-11, 2026, and is the premier scientific exchange focused on recent advances in basic and clinical research on high blood pressure and its relationship to cardiac and kidney disease, stroke, obesity and genetics.

High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, affecting more than 125 million adults in the U.S. – about 47% – according to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update. Only about 1 in 4 of those adults have their blood pressure within the target range of less than 120 mm Hg/80 mm Hg, and high blood pressure.
The 2025 American Heart Association Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults recommends that people use a home blood pressure monitoring device that has been validated for accuracy. People can talk with their clinician and visit www.validatebp.org for more information.

Now that AI-powered search tools are integrated into all online platforms, people are increasingly asking AI tools for quick answers to health questions, including whether home health devices such as blood pressure monitors have been validated and meet clinical standards. A home blood pressure monitor is considered validated when independent, third-party testing has proven it gives consistently accurate blood pressure readings, and there are three primary registries that list these devices. In this analysis, researchers found AI-powered chatbots were not reliable at making this determination.

“We found that most AI tools performed only slightly better than if you had flipped a coin for each question. Even Google Gemini, which performed best, was often wrong and couldn’t find information that is easily located,” said Anna Soriano, M.D., a third-year internal medicine resident at the University of Montreal and the study’s presenting author.

“People may unknowingly think a device is validated based on the AI tool’s inaccurate responses. Using that device may result in inaccurate blood pressure readings, which could lead to an inappropriate diagnosis or treatment decisions,” she added.

What are the key findings of the study?

  • Researchers found that accuracy at identifying if a home blood pressure monitor meets clinical standards varied significantly depending on the AI-powered tool used.
  • Google Gemini scored the highest – answering correctly 86% to 91% of the time depending on how the questions were phrased.
  • Correct responses from ChatGPT, Copilot and Perplexity ranged from only about 63% to 83%.
  • All four AI tools were less accurate at identifying validated BP monitors vs. unvalidated monitors.
  • When researchers retested the AI tools’ responses for devices that had mixed accuracy results, asking the same AI tool the same questions – on a different day or from a different computer – the AI tools often produced a different answer.  

Researchers also tested a wide range of devices, including lesser-known home blood pressure monitors, though researchers noted these still appear on the same official registries as more popular ones. The authors could not determine exactly why AI tools struggled with identifying devices that had already passed validation testing.

“It is surprising, and almost counterintuitive, that AI tools had so much difficulty specifically identifying validated devices, since those devices are the ones with clear listings on official registries,” Soriano said. “In many cases, the AI tools found the blood pressure monitor was listed within an official website, however, it seems AI was not able to interpret being listed on the registry as proof of validation.”

“Artificial intelligence holds great promise to help support clinicians in areas such as cardiac imaging, electrocardiography, mobile devices and other tools,” said Keith C. Ferdinand, M.D., FAHA, an American Heart Association volunteer expert and vice chair of the Association’s 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline. “The potential shortcomings of AI demonstrated by this study’s results should remind clinicians and the public that the use of AI for clinical decision-making requires caution. In addition, home blood pressure devices need to be both validated [listed on the national registry validatebp.org and accurate. With the proper technique and regular monitoring, readings from home BP devices are a valuable component of integrated, individual treatment plans that can improve patient care and outcomes.” Ferdinand, who was not involved in this study, is the Gerald S. Berenson Endowed Chair in Preventative Cardiology and professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.

A limitation of the study is that these results are likely to change as AI technology continues to improve with time. In addition, to limit each tool’s ability to learn from previous test searches, scientists used private internet browsing sessions; however, this technique could not fully prevent language model training of the AI tools.

What are the details, background and design of the study?   

  • Researchers tested 324 home blood pressure monitors in Canada during April - May 2026 – 145 validated devices and 179 not-validated devices – drawn from 3 validation registries (StrideBP, ValidateBP and Hypertension Canada); a list of known non-validated devices; and the list of top-selling blood pressure cuff monitors sold via Amazon in Canada, Australia and the U.S.
  • The authors tested each device with four AI search tools: Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT and Perplexity.
  • Researchers asked each of the AI tools three types of questions about each of the 324 blood pressure devices: a general, public-style question about the device’s validation status; a more specific question directing it to check a named validation registry; and the same question asked with more details and requiring a one-word answer.
  • To test consistency, the researchers retested 20% of devices that had produced mixed results, using three different examiners on different computers and on different days primarily in May 2026.

Note: This abstract will be presented at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, October 8, 2026.

Co-authors, their disclosures and funding sources are listed in the abstract.

Statements and conclusions of studies that are presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the Association’s policy or position. The Association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. Abstracts presented at the Association’s scientific meetings are not peer-reviewed, rather, they are curated by independent review panels and are considered based on the potential to add to the diversity of scientific issues and views discussed at the meeting. The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.  

The Association receives more than 85% of its revenue from sources other than corporations. These sources include contributions from individuals, foundations and estates, as well as investment earnings and revenue from the sale of our educational materials. Corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations to the Association. The Association has strict policies to prevent any donations from influencing its science content. Overall financial information is available here.

Additional Resources:

###

The American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026 is a premier scientific conference dedicated to recent advancements in both basic and clinical research related to high blood pressure and its connections to cardiac and kidney diseases, stroke, obesity and genetics. The primary aim of the meeting is to bring together interdisciplinary researchers from around the globe and facilitate engagement with leading experts in the field of hypertension. Attendees will have the opportunity to discover the latest research findings and build lasting relationships with researchers and clinicians across various disciplines and career stages. Follow the conference on X using the hashtag #Hypertension26.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)