You’ve probably read hundreds of articles about the Apple Watch this week, and the companion apps for them, as there are now over 3000 that are compatible for the popular smartwatch, but the Tensio app for Apple’s wrist wear is in a class all its own; it helps you manage your blood pressure.
Tensio is an app that intends to use the Apple Watch’s health tracking abilities by allowing you to manage your blood pressure. Humetrix, the developer behind Tensio says that Tensio is the first in a family of apps that will help people with chronic conditions, and is designed to help patients as well as help with their doctor’s consultations.
The app includes blood pressure monitors, scales, an activity tracker, and much, much more. Adding in your other medical data, Tensio will apply medical intelligence to alert you on if you’re doing good, or if you need to slow down your pace a bit.
“Tensio is the first in a family of apps we are developing for chronic conditions,” said Bettina Experton, CEO of Humetrix. “We started with hypertension because it is the most common chronic condition in the US – where about one-third of adults suffer from hypertension – and also because only about 50 percent of patients diagnosed with hypertension have their blood pressure under control.”
Hypertension affects one in three Americans over the age of 18, but more than 50 percent are unable to get their high blood pressure under control. Factors such as medication effectiveness, following your treatment plan, dietary habits, weight and exercise can all affect blood pressure. Tensio integrates Apple HealthKit data from a user’s monitoring devices, (blood pressure cuff, activity trackers), with other medical data, and then applies medical intelligence to generate individual iPhone and Apple Watch notifications. Apple Watch users using Tensio will also be able to access their blood pressure readings, and receive personal notifications on their wrist as well as on their phone.
Features include:
1. Seamless integration with iPhone HealthKit data collected on the user’s device from Apple-compatible digital monitoring devices (blood pressure monitor, digital scale, activity tracker, etc.)
2. Alerts you on your Apple Watch when to take your BP medication, check your BP or let you know of your activity level.
3. Medications and medical conditions automatically imported or can be entered with pick lists. Receive alerts about medications affecting your BP and BP medication and conditions reminders.
4. Based on your sodium intake target, Tensio will send you reminders and guide you on how to best monitor your diet to keep your blood pressure in check.
5. Automated notifications on blood pressure affecting medications and conditions
6. Medication and blood pressure monitoring reminders.
“Tensio illustrates how the combination of mobile technology on one side and the regulatory framework on the other side can combine to deliver today some meaningful solutions where the patients can be better partners in managing their healthcare”
With plans of integrating conditions like diabetes, COPD, asthma (which is what I have), heart disease, and more in the future, Tensio is currently in the App Store, with plans of availability for Android users in the summer.