Three of the four leading AI-powered search tools accurately identified home blood pressure monitors that met validated clinical standards only 63% to 83% of the time, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026. The meeting is taking place in Arlington, Virginia, October 7-11, 2026, and is a premier scientific exchange focused on recent advances in high blood pressure research.
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 120/80 mm Hg, and the 2025 American Heart Association Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults recommends using 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.
With AI-powered search tools now integrated into online platforms, people increasingly ask AI for quick answers to health questions, including whether home health devices have been validated. A home blood pressure monitor is considered validated when independent, third-party testing proves it gives consistently accurate readings, and three primary registries list these devices. In this analysis, researchers found AI chatbots were not reliable at making that 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.
Researchers tested 324 home blood pressure monitors in Canada during April-May 2026—145 validated and 179 not-validated—from three registries (StrideBP, ValidateBP, and Hypertension Canada), a list of known non-validated devices, and top-selling monitors on Amazon in Canada, Australia, and the U.S. They used four AI tools: Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and Perplexity, asking three types of questions about each device. Google Gemini scored highest, answering correctly 86% to 91% of the time, while correct responses from ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity ranged from only about 63% to 83%. All four tools were less accurate at identifying validated monitors versus unvalidated ones. When researchers retested 20% of devices with mixed results using different examiners, computers, and days, the AI tools often produced different answers.
"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."
Keith C. Ferdinand, M.D., FAHA, an American Heart Association volunteer expert and vice chair of the Association's 2025 High Blood Pressure Guideline, commented, "Artificial intelligence holds great promise to help support clinicians in areas such as cardiac imaging, electrocardiography, mobile devices and other tools. 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."
The findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The abstracts will be published at 10 am ET, Nov. 17, 2026, in the Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026 Supplement of the Hypertension journal. Additional resources include an American Heart Association news release on cuffless blood pressure technologies in wearable devices and one on how only 1 in 7 online health images show proper technique to accurately measure blood pressure. Health information on Home Blood Pressure Monitoring is also available. The original release can be viewed on www.newmediawire.com.
