Withings today announced the launch of its latest connected health product, debuting the Body Cardio, a scale that incorporates Pulse Wave Velocity measurements to give users an overview of their cardiac health.
According to Withings, the Body Cardio represents the first consumer scale that uses Pulse Wave Velocity, a measurement of the velocity at which a person's arterial pulse propagates through the body. It can detect arterial stiffness caused by problems like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and has a strong correlation with stroke, heart attack, and other cardiac events.
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PWV analyses are traditionally conducted in clinical environments and generally reserved for those diagnosed with high blood pressure or other chronic diseases. For the first time, Body Cardio brings this capability to the home scale, computing PWV based on the user's age and time it takes for blood to flow from the aorta in the heart to the vessels in the feet.
Body Cardio, along with its app, Health Mate, provides the user with the evolution of its PWV (m/s) over time and with an indication of whether their PWV is normal, optimal or at risk.
Design wise, the Body Cardio is slim and sleek, measuring in at 0.7 inches with a flat aluminum base for stability and heat-tempered glass for durability. Available in black or white, the Body Cardio is accurate on any surface, from wood floors to carpet. A built-in rechargeable battery is able to last up to a year between charges.
In addition to providing details on cardiac health, the Withings Body Cardio also measures weight and gives users information on body mass index, body composition, and standing heart rate. Body composition measurements, done through biometrical impedance, are also a new addition to the Body Cardio. Past Withings scales, such as the Smart Body Analyzer, offered fewer features.
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The Body Cardio, like all of Withings' health related devices, connects to the company's Health Mate app to deliver information like weight trends over time for long-term health-related tracking.
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The Body Cardio is available starting today from the Withings website and from Apple retail stores for $179.95. Later in the summer, the Body Cardio will also be available from additional retail partners.
Withings is also releasing an updated "Body" scale, able to measure weight and body composition. Body sells for $129.95 and is available from a variety of retailers.
Top Rated Comments
I wanted to buy a Withings scale but after reading so many bad reviews for units that usually die after 1 year mark got a bit scared.
Both our scale and our blood pressure monitor have been working fine for several years. I'm really tempted to buy the new model, but I'm not sure if I can justify it because our original one is still going strong.It's a lot of money for a scale. :(
I love my Withings scale I already have, but I must question the logic of a flat, aluminum base? That would get TRASHED on my tile bathroom floor, not to mention slide around the whole time, surely?
You really think they don't have small rubber legs under like their other scales? Should fineStill want one, but... is this a wtf moment?
It seems like a gimmick, why can't you just take your weight from any scale and just plug it into there app.
Because the internet of things is supposed to be seamless.....[doublepost=1465389198][/doublepost]
Consider a scenario where someone has one of these sets of scales and the app gives him (or her) really bad news. Would he be obliged to tell his life insurer, if he has one. As far most western insurance law is concerned, yes he would be obliged to disclose this, which could result in either his policy being cancelled or the premiums increased. If it was a large policy, the insurer, post mortem, might ask if such a device had been used and subpoena for the results and then cancel the policy retrospectively for non-disclosure. Ignorance might well be bliss in this case. What you don't know, you can't tell them about.
Scary thought. The notion that Americans should not notify a doctor when health issues are detected because it might interfere with their health insurance just really highlights how broken our view of healthcare is.Anyway, this is neat, might buy one for the new apartment at some point.
Obvious the evidence is anecdotal but that's exactly the problem, they fail and Withings customer support is awful.
I bought a Withings scale about 4-5 months ago and had some problems with the wifi connection. I found their customer support VERY responsive. They made some suggestions; none of them seemed to work though. They were able to see when the scale connected and when it didn't (it would connect randomly, more often not connecting when I stood on it). They even sent out 2 replacement scales and I had the same issue. I've decided that the problem is with my Internet setup in my house (multiple routers going through a FIOS router; I think it's having some issues getting through all the connection points or something). I'm using it bluetooth mode now.Check Amazon reviews (with a pinch of salt obviously).
Anyway I might pull the trigger on this new one and pray they improved their customer support :D
Will probably get this one. I'm going to simplify my whole setup and just go with Verizon's Quantum Gateway router and get rid of all of the other connections. If it still doesn't work, I'll return it. I've got some health issues that the new feature may help me keep tabs on, if it works like they say it does.