Withings BPM Core Is More Than a Home Blood Pressure Measurement Tool

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The Withings BPM Core shown with the new Withings Move ECG.

If you need to regularly check your blood pressure, you’ll want to pay attention to the new Withings BPM Core. Not only does it check your blood pressure, but it also takes an electrocardiogram (ECG) and listens to your heart via a digital stethoscope — all in one device.

The Withings BPM Core has already been honored with a 2019 CES Innovation Award. The company is striving to bring users medical data that has traditionally only been available in a clinical setting.

Along with blood pressure and heart rate monitoring, the three-in-one device measures ECG used to identify atrial fibrillation (AFib), a serious form of irregular heart rhythm that can lead to heart failure, fatigue and shortness of breath and is a major risk for stroke. In addition, its digital stethoscope can provide early detection of valvular heart disease, characterized by damage to one of the four heart valves that may require surgical intervention.

If you are someone with blood pressure concerns, you might be wondering why is it so important to get more information at home than just a regularly taken blood pressure reading. Well, it turns out that people who have high blood pressure are also at risk from both valvular damage and AFib, according to multiple studies which have found strong correlations between the three states.

However, AFib and valvular diseases are often underdiagnosed because symptoms are not continuous and may be easily missed if they do not occur during infrequent visits to the doctor. The ability to monitor all three conditions in one device is a game changer.

 

 

 

While it may appear to be a traditional blood pressure cuff, the Withings BPM Core “is packed full of advanced medical sensors discreetly built into the device. This includes two stainless-steel electrodes located inside the cuff and on the tube as well as a silicone membrane housing the digital microphone.”

Using the Withings BPM Core couldn’t be easier: you simply place it on your upper arm and press a button — and within 90 seconds all three measurements will be taken.

1. Blood Pressure: The self-inflating cuff accurately tracks and monitors systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate measurements, and provides results instantly on the device via an LED matrix display. The display also provides color-coded feedback glowing green for normal, orange for moderate and red for high blood pressure. Data is also sent to the accompanying Health Mate App via Bluetooth or WiFi.

2. Electrocardiogram: To record an ECG that can detect AFib, users place the cuff on the upper arm and place their other hand on its stainless steel sensors for 20 seconds. Heart rhythms are tracked and displayed within the Health Mate App and will show if the heart beats too quickly and irregularly.

3. Valvular Health: Normally functioning valves ensure blood flows with proper force, in the proper direction at the proper time in the heart. With valvular heart disease, valves become too narrow and hardened (stenotic) to fully open, or are unable to close completely (regurgitation). To detect valvular issues, the device uses a digital stethoscope and analytical algorithm calibrated in collaboration with George Pompidou Hospital in Paris. Users place the sensor on their chest, and it spends 20 seconds listening and evaluating heart performance. Results are displayed on the device and within the Health Mate App where they can also be heard!

The results from all three readings will display in your Withings Health Mate app (along with other Withings’ device collected data such as your weight, sleep, and steps), giving you a one-stop console for keeping up with your stats and seeing if there are any changes that need to be shared with your doctor. The Withings BPM Core has a rechargeable battery, so you can perform month’s worth of tests before needing to recharge with its included microUSB cable.

Early detection of heart problems, especially ones that aren’t easily caught at the doctor’s office during once or twice a year visits, is key. The Withings BPM Core will give you a powerful tool that can regularly monitor your health information so you can share results with your doctor. Because the Withings BPM Core is a medical-grade device, it is currently under review for FDA and CE clearance. Interested? The Withings BPM Core will go on sale in the second quarter of 2019 for $249.95. You can keep an eye out for it at the Withings site.

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She got her start in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie has written for or been profiled by nationally known sites and magazines, and she has served on multiple industry hardware and software award panels. She is best known for her device-agnostic approach, enjoyment of exploring tech, gadgets, and gear, and her deep-diving, jargon-free reviews.