QardioArm Smart Blood Pressure Monitor Now Available in Apple Retail Stores

[MacRumors]

Qardio today announced that its QardioArm Smart Blood Pressure Monitor is rolling out to Apple retail stores around the world. As of this week, the QardioArm is available in more than 30 countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, with the accessory set to roll out to the United States and additional countries in the near future.

The QardioArm is a Bluetooth-connected blood pressure monitor that's able to deliver real-time data on blood pressure to an accompanying iPhone app. It measures both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, along with heart rate, and it is able to detect irregular heartbeats. It has been approved by the FDA and its accuracy is clinically validated to meet U.S. and European standards.

Powered by 4 AAA batteries, the QardioArm measures in at 2.7 x 1.5 x 5.5 inches, making it small enough for travel. The accompanying app includes features for setting goals and reminders, tracking irregularities, and more, plus it can deliver information to the Apple Health app on the iPhone.

"We are very happy to extend our working relationship with Apple into retail. Qardio and Apple share a vision that brings together technical excellence with beautiful design and a delightful user experience. QardioArm embodies that vision: a medical-grade blood pressure monitor that actually makes people want to take control of their heart health and helps them do so," said Alexis Zervoglos, Chief Business Officer. "We are excited to be reaching more people than ever and to be building further on our many successes."

The QardioArm joins several other health-related iPhone-connected products Apple offers, like the iHealth Wireless Blood Glucometer, the Swaive Thermometer, the Withings Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor, and the iHealth Wireless Pulse Oximeter.

As part of a Black Friday promotion, Qardio is currently selling the QardioArm at a 20 percent discount on its website, dropping the price from $99 to $79.20. Until the discount ends, those looking to purchase a QardioArm can get a better deal from Qardio than through the Apple Store.

Update 12/8: Qardio's QardioArm is now available from Apple's online store in the United States and Canada.

Article Link: QardioArm Smart Blood Pressure Monitor Now Available in Apple Retail Stores

 

[FactVsOpinion]

Sounds fantastic, I only wish the watch could do this itself, eliminating the need to do this separately.

 

[Traverse]

I thought this said a pressure sensitive computer monitor for Macs!

 

[Sir Al]

For the watch to do it, it'd have to be able to inflate its band, and even if it did, the accuracy would not be anywhere near this one. I've owned wrist blood pressure monitors that were advertised to be accurate, but most of the time were completely off - not useful.

My cardiologist said that the closer you are to the heart, the more accurate the blood pressure measurement is (i.e the finger tip ones are the least accurate, and the shoulder/chest ones are the most accurate). If you just want to track some heart data, though, the pulse the watch does is good and can be quite useful. It can in some ways even be rough predictor of your blood pressure, but more how it changes with respect to the day, not long term.

 

[snowmoon]

For continuous hr tracking the fitbit hr does a good job. I wish there was a little more insight into patterns, the resting HR is good, but there is no irregularity tracking or or statistical breakdowns.

 

[A.Goldberg]

This is great. The reminders are fantastic and the ingestion with the phone makes doctors ability to check the records very easy.

You wouldn't believe the number of people who fudge the numbers/lie. Diabetics are even worse with self observed glucose levels (usually trying to cover up medication non-compliance).

 

[NachoGrande]

It works well the one thing that I can't stand is that they make you register to use it which I just find unacceptable.

 

[philbeeney]

It works well the one thing that I can't stand is that they make you register to use it which I just find unacceptable.

Precisely why I won't buy their product or any other that requires information. I'm not having my blood pressure results along with all my personal data stored on their servers somewhere in the "Cloud" for them to sell / get hacked / disappear when bankrupt, etc.

I record my details manually using an Omron monitor and a spreadsheet.

 

[brand]

It works well the one thing that I can't stand is that they make you register to use it which I just find unacceptable.

If it is unacceptable then did you return the product?

 

[A.Goldberg]

It works well the one thing that I can't stand is that they make you register to use it which I just find unacceptable.

While so agree it is ridiculous they make you register with an account, it is only blood pressure readings. Is the data stored locally on the phone or stored on their server?

Has anyone read the fine print of the registration agreement? How much info do they make you provide. The only place I could see this being problematic is if they sell your information to drug companies, pharmacies, or anyone else who might be interested.

As an aside, given the features it has $79 is a great deal. I'd be curious to see how they hold up and the accuracy of their readings though. Omron makes the best consumer-grade automatic sphygmomanometers I've seen. Some of the cheaper ones aren't very good.

-----
Edit: The company states their information is stored in the cloud (I assume thus the account requirement) and is HIPPA complaint. It would be nice if the cloud could be declined. The fact it is HIPPA complaint will prevent them from sharing your information. Pretty much all of your healthcare is online anyways now- between Electronic Health Records, Insurance Processing, Pharmacy computer systems, etc.

My bigger concern is it appears it only comes with one cuff size. Assuming they have not invented a novel design, improperly sized cuffs can cause issues getting accurate readings.

 

[RimasM]

That's pretty interesting. Especially that it syncs with Apple Health. I hate to manually duplicate records to Health from any other apps.

 

[ifixscreens]

that sound smart of them and pretty easy to apply and syncs. Apple can't stop surprising us!

 

[deany]

Qardio today announced that its QardioArm Smart Blood Pressure Monitor is rolling out to Apple retail stores around the world. As of this week, the QardioArm is available in more than 30 countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, with the accessory set to roll out to the United States and additional countries in the near future.

The QardioArm is a Bluetooth-connected blood pressure monitor that's able to deliver real-time data on blood pressure to an accompanying iPhone app. It measures both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, along with heart rate, and it is able to detect irregular heartbeats. It has been approved by the FDA and its accuracy is clinically validated to meet U.S. and European standards.

Powered by 4 AAA batteries, the QardioArm measures in at 2.7 x 1.5 x 5.5 inches, making it small enough for travel. The accompanying app includes features for setting goals and reminders, tracking irregularities, and more, plus it can deliver information to the Apple Health app on the iPhone.The QardioArm joins several other health-related iPhone-connected products Apple offers, like the iHealth Wireless Blood Glucometer, the Swaive Thermometer, the Withings Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor, and the iHealth Wireless Pulse Oximeter.

As part of a Black Friday promotion, Qardio is currently selling the QardioArm at a 20 percent discount on its website, dropping the price from $99 to $79.20. Until the discount ends, those looking to purchase a QardioArm can get a better deal from Qardio than through the Apple Store.

Article Link: QardioArm Smart Blood Pressure Monitor Now Available in Apple Retail Stores

 

[deany]

With high blood pressure being the 'silent killer' & mine not being the lowest at times, I'm interested.

amazon UK have sold these on Prime for over a year so I guess the unit is same but now its in apple stores, thats the 'news' can I just confirm:

1/ you can set daily notifications to check blood pressure, and info will be sent via bluetooth to iphone 6?

2/ being an apple watch user, what interaction if any does an apple watch play in all this, does it interact with the app with pulse?

3/ does the app always need to be open in the background.?

thanks in advance.

ps
I do have access to a monitor for free, so could be sold on saving £79.00 & setting my own reminder.
The cloud personal info doesn't bother me. thanks

 

[beanbaguk]

Precisely why I won't buy their product or any other that requires information. I'm not having my blood pressure results along with all my personal data stored on their servers somewhere in the "Cloud" for them to sell / get hacked / disappear when bankrupt, etc.

I record my details manually using an Omron monitor and a spreadsheet.

With respect, who cares about your blood pressure levels?! I get your bank details (but they are on the "cloud" as you put it), but who cares about your heart rate, blood, weight, etc....how do you think everything syncs together?

I think you're reading into the conspiracy theories a bit too much....

 

[You are the One]

It works well the one thing that I can't stand is that they make you register to use it which I just find unacceptable.

They want your information so it can be capitalised on. It's very common that devices and solutions are designed just so that the "customer's" private data ends up in the hand of the "provider".

Greedy bastards..

 

[SlipperySlop]

They want your information so it can be capitalised on. It's very common that devices and solutions are designed just so that the "customer's" private data ends up in the hand of the "provider".

Greedy bastards..

Yup. That'll teach these people. Don't buy it. Even if it helps your health, resist. It's better to scorn these people than to do something that might prevent a heart attack or stroke.
/sarcasm off

 

[beanbaguk]

Too many tin-foil hats floating about this thread.

If you believe that, you'll probably also believe that you're being brain-washed with mobile phone signals floating about everywhere.

Everything requires an account these days. Do you have a Google, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, account, etc??? Do you have store cards, credit cards, even standard debit cards? Do you buy on-line?

If you say yes to any of the above, you're already in The Matrix. (cue spooky music).

Seriously though. If this is the way you think, you're screwed already. Take the plunge and keep an eye on your health by yourself.

 

[Mac Eagle]

With high blood pressure being the 'silent killer' & mine not being the lowest at times, I'm interested.

amazon UK have sold these on Prime for over a year so I guess the unit is same but now its in apple stores, thats the 'news' can I just confirm:

1/ you can set daily notifications to check blood pressure, and info will be sent via bluetooth to iphone 6?

2/ being an apple watch user, what interaction if any does an apple watch play in all this, does it interact with the app with pulse?

3/ does the app always need to be open in the background.?

thanks in advance.

ps
I do have access to a monitor for free, so could be sold on saving £79.00 & setting my own reminder.
The cloud personal info doesn't bother me. thanks

I actually own one of these and have been using it now for about 6 months. I checked it' accuracy just recently at my doctor's and it was in what I believe to be an acceptable margin of error, which seems to be maybe about 5 points high.

1) You can set multiple reminders and have them repeat on whichever days that you choose.
2) You can start a measurement from your watch and it will display readings there, though to be honest I have not really used this functionality even though I do own a aWatch.
3) No, the app does not need to be open in the background, only when you are taking a reading. It does not do automatic readings, they have to be triggered within the app or on the aWatch.

All in all I have found the device very usable. It is fairly compact and easy to travel with. It takes a few AA batteries, which I have not had to replace yet since receiving the device. The app does a pretty nice job of tracking your readings and presenting that information. My only issue with the device has been that on occasion it doesn't seem to connect via bluetooth and I have to switch off bluetooth on my iPhone (6s+), but that always resolves the issue. As far as the privacy concerns, I have a separate email account setup just for these types of things and don't provide it my real data and it's been just fine that way. Regardless, not too worried about someone getting my BP data.

If you have any other questions, I can try to answer them the best that I can.

 

[deany]

I actually own one of these and have been using it now for about 6 months. I checked it' accuracy just recently at my doctor's and it was in what I believe to be an acceptable margin of error, which seems to be maybe about 5 points high.

1) You can set multiple reminders and have them repeat on whichever days that you choose.
2) You can start a measurement from your watch and it will display readings there, though to be honest I have not really used this functionality even though I do own a aWatch.
3) No, the app does not need to be open in the background, only when you are taking a reading. It does not do automatic readings, they have to be triggered within the app or on the aWatch.

All in all I have found the device very usable. It is fairly compact and easy to travel with. It takes a few AA batteries, which I have not had to replace yet since receiving the device. The app does a pretty nice job of tracking your readings and presenting that information. My only issue with the device has been that on occasion it doesn't seem to connect via bluetooth and I have to switch off bluetooth on my iPhone (6s+), but that always resolves the issue. As far as the privacy concerns, I have a separate email account setup just for these types of things and don't provide it my real data and it's been just fine that way. Regardless, not too worried about someone getting my BP data.

If you have any other questions, I can try to answer them the best that I can.

Hi Mac Eagle,

Thank you for your detailed reply, I appreciate it.

With amazon offering end on Jan '16 returns at present and blood pressure being so important....

I'm going to invest in one and see how I get in with it and the ios app.

Thanks again,

Deany

 

[avanpelt]

Just bought one on their website and saved 20%. My existing Omicron legacy unit is clunky and not very portable. I need to do a better job of keeping regular tabs on my blood pressure so between the portability and always having the readings on my phone automatically, I think this will come in handy. Thanks for the heads up, MR!

 

[Mac Eagle]

Hi Mac Eagle,

Thank you for your detailed reply, I appreciate it.

With amazon offering end on Jan '16 returns at present and blood pressure being so important....

I'm going to invest in one and see how I get in with it and the ios app.

Thanks again,

Deany

Glad I could be of assistants. Hopefully it works out for you. Another nice thing it does is gives you the option of taking up to 3 readings at a time and then gives you the average so that you can try to rule out a single bad reading. The only thing is that I wish it showed you the individual readings and not just the average, but it's still a nice feature.

 

[Parasprite]

You wouldn't believe the number of people who fudge the numbers/lie. Diabetics are even worse with self observed glucose levels (usually trying to cover up medication non-compliance).

Everything about this.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Everything about this.

It's a fact people are non compliant with medicine. I deal with it every day. It's hard to believe someone has their glucose under control when A1C's are off the charts (which gives you a nice 3 month snapshot of blood glucose) , all other causes are ruled out, and the patient admits to cheating. For such a dangerous disease (capable of taking limbs, vision, kidneys, etc) you'd wouldn't expect it to have one of the worst average adherance rates of all diseases (65%).

Hypertension has poor treatment adherance rates as well, though slightly harder to determine. When someone insists they take their medication routinely and then you have to send them to the ER because their blood pressure is worse than ever and indicates hypertensive crisis and you call their spouse to tell them they're in the ER and they tell you X does not take his/her medication ...

I don't take the Dr. Gregory House theory of "everybody lies" but a lot of people do. Its not an assumption I make but a conclusion I come to if the equations aren't adding up. It's easier to say you're doing the right thing than say you're not.

It's a very real problem with very serious consequences. Making monitoring devices easier and more "fun" to use, along with reminders and such is great.

 

[Ezlivin]

With respect, who cares about your blood pressure levels?

Every single company that makes, sells or distributes blood pressure medication.