Filip Brož Smoking, unhealthy food, lack of exercise or alcohol. All of these and more result in high blood pressure. More than seven million people worldwide die from this disease every year. At the same time, patients often do not even know that they suffer from hypertension. According to doctors, it is a silent killer. For that reason, it pays to be careful, which means not only going to the doctor regularly, but also monitoring your health at home.
I'm sure you'll agree that due to modern technologies and accessories, it's getting easier and easier to monitor your body. There are several companies on the market that produce various gadgets that in some way monitor the physiological values of our body. Various personal scales, glucometers, sports watches or blood pressure meters are manufactured by iHealth.
It is blood pressure meters that are very sought-after accessories for smart devices among people. iHealth has introduced several similar devices in the past, launching the all-new iHealth Track blood pressure monitor last year at IFA 2015 in Berlin. It has been completely redesigned from the ground up and boldly competes with professional devices.
Reliable data and measurements
Right from the first unpacking, I was impressed that the included cuff, which is used to measure blood pressure itself, is completely identical to the one I know from the hands of doctors in hospitals. In addition to the aforementioned collar with a tube, the package also includes a relatively sturdy plastic device that you absolutely need to measure.
The robust but well-designed device is powered by four AAA batteries, which, according to the manufacturer, are sufficient for more than 250 measurements. Once you insert the batteries into the device, just connect the iHeath Track to the cuff with a tube, just like doctors around the world do.
You can then start measuring your blood pressure. You put the arm through the cuff and place the collar as close as possible to the shoulder joint. You fasten the cuff with Velcro and it needs to be tightened as much as possible. At the same time, care must be taken that the tube that comes out of the collar is at the top. During the measurement itself, you must breathe naturally and freely and have a relaxed hand.
The collar is sufficiently long and variable. Fits all types of hands without any problems. Once you have the cuff in place, just press the Start/Stop button. The cuff inflates with air and you'll know how you're doing in no time. A normal blood pressure reading for an adult should be 120/80. Blood pressure values show how hard the heart pumps blood into the body, i.e. how hard the circulating blood exerts on the vessel walls. The two values show the systolic and diastolic pressure.
These two values will appear on the iHealth Track display after a successful measurement, along with your heart rate. As the display of the device is tinted, once the pressure goes outside the normal range, you will see either a yellow or a red signal. This is if you have increased or too high blood pressure. If the iHealth Track is green, everything is fine.
Mobile apps and accuracy
iHealth Track can save all measured data, including color signals, in its internal memory, but mobile applications are the brains of all iHealth products. iHealth does not have an application for each device, but one that aggregates all measured data. Application iHealth MyVitals it's free and if you already have an iHealth account, just log in or create a new one. In it you will also find, for example, data from professional scales Core HS6.
You pair the pressure meter with the application by pressing the second button with the cloud symbol and the letter M on the iHealth Track. The connection is made via Bluetooth 4.0, and you can immediately see the measured data on your iPhone. The biggest advantage of the MyVitals application is that all data is displayed in clear graphs, tables and everything can be shared with your attending physician. Personally, he considers the application to be an improved system Health. In addition, the possibility to view your data anywhere thanks to the web version is also great.
Home blood pressure monitors are often criticized for not being completely reliable and measuring different values at short intervals. We did not encounter similar discrepancies with iHealth Track. Every time I measured in a short time interval, the values were very similar. In addition, the speed of breathing or slight agitation can play a role during the measurement, for example, due to the influence of the measured values.
In practice, nothing compares to classic mercury meters, which are already in decline, but still, iHealth Track, even with its health approval and certification, is a more than worthy competitor. Measurements and subsequent data synchronization take place without the slightest problem, so you have a good overview of your health. In addition, thanks to the mobile and web version, practically anywhere.
The only thing MyVitals lacks is the ability to differentiate between different family members, for example. However, it is not possible to switch between accounts and it is not possible to mark to whom the measured values belong. It's a shame because it doesn't make sense for each family member to buy their own device. Currently, the only option is to constantly re-pair iHealth Track between iPhones. Apart from this shortcoming, it is a very functional device which, at a price of less than 1 crowns, is not too expensive, but it can provide "professional measurement". In the Czech Republic, iHealth Track can be purchased as a novelty starting this week for example at the official distributor EasyStore.cz.
and isn't there a simpler solution from withings?
I use it and it is really elaborate, I recommend it. More than three years and no stuck or problem.
that's right .. and most importantly, it's all in one, just put it on your hand, turn it on and check the result on your mobile :)
Their app was behaving erratically until recently, they had 2 and every now and then I was advised to switch to the other one. So far, it also does not support high resolution. I have an HS6 scale from them and it was a breeze to set up before it connected to WiFi so it took a while. Not much options when working with weight, but on the other hand, it does what I need. I know anyway that there is little chance that I will buy anything else from them, their support is a tragedy in a word. They don't respond to emails, the support on their website doesn't work either.