There's An App For That, But I Don't Think I'd Use It
(CBS4) - It seems like a snap. Stick your finger against the flash on your phone, press a button, and up pops your blood pressure.
Yep, there's an app for that. In fact, several apps for that.
But the question is: how accurate are they?
According to new research from Johns Hopkins ... probably not so much.
Researchers took a look at one very popular BP app -- Instant Blood Pressure -- and came up with some findings sure to blow your blood pressure through the roof if you're relying on a $4.99 app to save you a trip to the doctor's office.
The app was wrong approximately 80% of the time, on average missing the mark by about 10-12 points.
That's a lot of points to misread a blood pressure.
Now the good news is this particular app was pulled off the iPhone market about 6 months ago. But it was downloaded more than 148,000 times, which means it's probably still sitting ... and being used on a lot of phones out there (maybe yours?)
Plus, even with this one gone, there are several other "stick your finger on the flash button and this phone will tell you your blood pressure" apps still available.
Buyer beware.
Even if the "Instant Blood Pressure" manufacturers claimed the app really was never intended as a medical application -- it was simply for "recreational purposes."
Huh?
Sounds like fun at a party.
If you're your looking for a good "at home" model, any pharmacy carries an easy-to-use digital cuff that wraps around your arm and can give you a reading that you can rely arm. Just be sure to buy a model that has a large cuff if you have a large arm.
Also, stay away from those finger or wrist models -- they just don't have the accuracy of the ones that fit around your upper arm.
If you're going to do-it-yourself, get some numbers you can rely on.
Dr. Dave Hnida is CBS4's Medical Editor. He blogs about the latest studies and trends in the health world. Read his latest blog entries, check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @drdavehnida
