Hypertension is often called the ‘silent killer’, and can significantly increase the risk of cardiac events and death if left untreated. One in three adults has high blood pressure, often undetected until it’s too late. An appropriate screening and adequate monitoring can be lifesaving.
Traditional vs. Continual Monitoring
One of the key aspects of hypertension is that the damage is time-dependent – the more time the blood pressure (BP) is out of optimal range, the more damage done to the body’s organs.
Traditional methods using cuffs typically provide episodic readings, resulting in few measurements. This might be insufficient for effective cardiovascular assessments: Besides the mere number of readings, the measurements might not take place in moments and that are decisive for monitoring and interpreting the BP.
Continual monitoring with 24/7 wearables like Aktiia, however, offers a comprehensive view with many automatic measurements per day. This is crucial for screening, long-term follow up and management of high blood pressure.
Introducing Aktiia and TTR
Enters Aktiia, a revolutionary cuffless blood pressure device, and the concept of time-in-target-range (TTR). TTR is a promising method that indicates the total time that a person’s blood pressure is within the normal range, and is a novel metric of cardiovascular risk.
Keeping blood pressure within a healthy range lowers the risk of many diseases including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, aneurysms among others.
How Aktiia Works
Aktiia, a wrist-worn device, provides continual BP measurements using optical sensors, eliminating the need for a cuff or interruptions to your daily life. There are many benefits of continual monitoring and the valuable data it yields, including the ability to calculate your blood pressure TTR in real-time.
Users can see patterns and make lifestyle changes to better manage their blood pressure. Finally, doctors can use the continual data to create more effective treatment strategies, tailored specifically to the patient.
Study Findings on Aktiia
A large-scale study recently published in Frontiers in Medicine analysed 2.3 million blood pressure readings from over 5,000 European users of the Aktiia cuffless monitor. The study revealed that continual monitoring for at least 7 days is required to achieve 90% or greater accuracy in hypertension risk classification with TTR – a frequency of measurement that may only be feasible with cuffless monitors.
Additionally, the study shows that when using TTR over 15 days as a reference to assess cardiovascular risk, traditional cuff-based methods show a higher error rate: One in four (26%) ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) patients and almost half of the patients (45%) using home monitoring schedules were misclassified. This evidence supports Aktiia’s effectiveness in assessing cardiovascular risk.
Protect your heart health with Aktiia’s innovative BP monitoring. See how continual measurement can keep your blood pressure in check. Read more!
Additional Survey Insights about Aktiia
A recent survey published in The Journal of Hypertension indicated strong patient preference for continual, cuffless blood pressure monitoring, such as Aktiia. The survey highlighted that patients found this method to be simply more comfortable and convenient. This shows the potential of cuffless monitors to improve patient engagement to long-term monitoring and adherence to treatment.
For further reading on heart health and blood pressure management, check out our recommended articles and related clinical studies. If you have any questions or need personalised advice, consult your healthcare professional.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and not medical advice. Consult your physician before making any changes to your lifestyle. The author and publisher are not responsible for any adverse effects resulting from the use or application of the information presented in this article.
Sources
Optimising time-in-target-range assessment for blood pressure: insights from a large-scale study with continual cuffless monitoring, Front. Med., June 2024 – https://www.frontiersin.org/journals-medicine-articles-fmed20241396962
Facts About High Blood Pressure, AHA, May 2024 – https://www.heart.org/en/high-blood-pressure-the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure
Survey indicates greater patient preference for Aktiia’s cuffless monitor over traditional ambulatory blood pressure monitor in a cardiac rehabilitation program, Journal of Hypertension, May 2024 – https://journals.lww.com/hypertension-survey-indicates-greater-patient-preference
