The Aktiia blood pressure tracking wearable has been shown to produce results that are comparable to those obtained using a traditional cuff, according to a study published in Hypertension Research, a publication of the prestigious journal Nature. The study involved 52 patients who underwent 50 sessions in which their blood pressure and heart rate were measured using both 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitors (ABPM) and the Aktiia monitor.
The wearable Aktiia, which tracks blood pressure without a cuff, has been found to produce comparable results to traditional cuff monitors. The study found no significant differences in measuring daytime systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared to a traditional cuff, and although there were some differences in daytime diastolic blood pressure (DBP) when compared to ABPM, they were not statistically significant.
Overall, Aktiia produced blood pressure data comparable to that of a traditional ambulatory blood pressure monitor for both systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements during the day.
“Fig. 2 Scatter plots (upper) and Bland-Altman plots (bottom) comparing daytime BP measurements performed by Aktiia monitor (7-day average) and ABPM (1-day average).”
The study on Aktiia, a cuffless blood pressure tracking wearable, has highlighted the significant role that wrist-worn, non-invasive wearables could play in the treatment of hypertension. This is particularly relevant for patients who require regular blood pressure monitoring, such as those with hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease.
However, the study’s results are limited as it was conducted on a small sample of patients, and the results may not be applicable to other populations. Additionally, the study only evaluated daytime measurements, so further research is needed to determine the accuracy of the Aktiia monitor for 24-hour monitoring.
Nevertheless, Aktiia’s co-founder and CTO, Josep Solà, believes that despite not providing the gold standard, non-invasive optical heart rate-based sensors still offer valuable data.
