A bracelet that can track blood pressure whether you are standing up, sitting, lying or even fast asleep could help in the fight against hypertension, its developers claim.
The Aktiia home blood pressure monitoring kit comes with a cuff, bracelet and partner app, which can constantly track blood pressure without a bulky device.
The Switzerland-based firm began work on monitoring blood pressure using optical sensors 15 years ago, and was ready to bring it to market in the spring of 2021.
It makes use of signal processing, to take real measurements against a baseline, rather than using artificial intelligence to 'predict' blood pressure levels.
Mike Kisch, Aktiia CEO, told MailOnline that having constant blood pressure measurements in all settings was a 'game changer' for doctors and patients.
It allows doctors to determine whether medication is working, and patients to see for themselves how lifestyle changes they make improve their blood pressure.
The kit is £199 from the Aktiia website, and is medically certified for use in seven countries in Europe, including the UK.
The kit is £199 from the Aktiia website, and is medically certified for use in seven countries in Europe, including the UK
The Aktiia home blood pressure monitoring kit comes with a cuff, bracelet and partner app, which can constantly track blood pressure without a bulky device
Aktiia says its goal is to 'improve cardiovascular health by providing patients and physicians with a deeper understanding of their blood pressure patterns.'
The monitor is worn as a discreet bracelet that tracks blood pressure 24/7 automatically in the background of daily life, including when asleep.
It is designed to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, which affects about 1.28 billion adults worldwide and is a leading cause of premature death.
'Our point of view is that to be as accurate as possible, we have to be truly sensing and measuring an individuals blood pressure,' said Mr Kisch.
They do this using real data 'rather than using AI or machine learning to in effect guess what a persons blood pressure is,' he explained.
When you first get the device it comes with an upper arm cuff, similar to a traditional blood pressure monitor, and a bracelet.
The cuff is used to create a baseline measurement of your blood pressure, that the system can then utilise to track blood pressure using just the optical sensor.
'This is a highly regulated space, and unlike a lot of things a consumer wearable might measure, this is a critical input into the treatment of the world's most prevalent chronic conditions.'
The data is used by the patient to determine how well they are staying within their target blood pressure range.
'Equally, if not more importantly, there is a physician who might be prescribing medication based on these values.
'That is where it diverges from a consumer wearable - a doctor won't really use data from an Apple Watch as a basis for a treatment plan, but if they believe there is something else wrong they will require more exhaustive tests.'
Some doctors in Europe are already giving the product to patients, as it allows them to get a round the clock measurement of blood pressure, without the 'white coat effect', which is where blood pressure spikes in the presence of a doctor.
Having worn the device for the past month, you very quickly forget you are wearing it, and with a battery that lasts most of the month, its even easier to forget.
Aktiia says its goal is to 'improve cardiovascular health by providing patients and physicians with a deeper understanding of their blood pressure patterns'
They use real data 'rather than using AI or machine learning to in effect guess what a persons blood pressure is'
I have hypertension, and am on medication to treat my blood pressure, but there are also things I can do in terms of lifestyle, to improve.
Having the device, and seeing a continuous track of my blood pressure, allowed me to link different foods and activities, to my blood pressure level.
The firm has approval within Europe and the UK to sell the product to consumers, and is currently working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US.
It is widely available in seven countries, with tens of thousands of users capturing more than 20 million blood pressure readings in the past year.
'We are targeting individuals themselves,' explained Mr Kisch, adding they are also targeting researchers, carrying out hypertension studies.
'For us, depending on the individual, you may buy this online, in a store at some point, and equally you may have the product given by the healthcare provider or insurer, who wants you to stay in range a larger percent of the time.
'There is an incentive for them to provide you the product because it helps in that pursuit.'
The healthcare setting can also help provide wider data to doctors on patients healthcare - with only one per cent of
