Annually on the 29th of September, World Heart Day is celebrated globally to raise awareness on cardiovascular disease (CVD), which includes heart and circulatory diseases such as heart attacks and stroke.
According to the NHS “CVD is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK but can often largely be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle.” Some known risk factors of CVD include high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, inactivity, higher-level BMI, ethnic background, diet and more.
Understanding health and wellness is such an important part of living a full and well-rounded lifestyle. When it came to heart health, I found it complicated to know where to start on my journey and what products I might need to help me to improve, where needed. I sought out a brand that not only prioritises wellbeing but specifically creates products to help manage and better understand our bodies and heart health – which is when I discovered Withings.
“Withings is a stunning brand merging technology and wellness, with more than 10 years experience in the field. They invent, design and manufacture a range of award-winning, clinically validated smart health devices and associated apps. Withings provides an easy way to take accurate measurements from the comfort of home and can help anyone master long term health goals.”
I tried & tested three Withings products, which all brilliantly work together to help understand and manage aspects of our wellness, including heart health. Together, I used the Withings Scanwatch, BPM Connect Smart Blood Pressure Monitor and Body Cardio Smart Scale.
As someone who maintains an average lifestyle when it comes to everyday wellness and exercise, (but also has some risk factors, such as Type 1 diabetes) utilising these devices not only helped me to understand my health metrics and improvement areas better, but it also provided me with the tools to evaluate how to properly track progress at a clinical level from home.
The Withings Scanwatch
This watch was as beautiful as it was practical with its day and night health scanning! I was able to flawlessly transition it from the office to the gym, and even on a Friday night to meet friends.
It’s known as the first hybrid smartwatch to continuously scan vital parameters to detect heart health conditions and help improve overall fitness. Keeping heart health a priority, this watch boasts a medical-grade ECG, and oximeter for SpO2 measurements (aka how much oxygen is in your blood).
I loved that this watch automatically checks heart rate throughout the day, and all information can be accessed on the app (and even shared directly from the app with your doctor!) I was relieved to know you can’t feel any of the tests being taken and was even more impressed by the level of accuracy.
Personally, I found the fitness tracker incredibly informative, showing me where I need to enhance my wellness journey to improve my routine, especially in areas such as my fitness level and daily steps. After testing this watch and exploring all the benefits it has to offer, I will 100% be swapping it for my previously beloved apple watch.
BPM Connect Smart Blood Pressure Monitor
As someone with CVD risk factors, high blood pressure is something I more recently have been made aware to keep a close eye on.
I’m not alone in this either … over 2.1million adults under 45 had high blood pressure in England in 2015. However, monitoring blood pressure was something that felt completely unmanageable to previously do at home. Sure, I can watch my salt and fat intake, but I felt out of control in knowing where my levels were sitting without going to the GP.
Cue the BPM Connect Smart Monitor – this thing is genius!
Sleek, comfortable, and compact, this monitor has a rechargeable battery that lasts 6 months and measures blood pressure and heart rate right at your fingertips from anywhere! With immediate results straight to your phone app, this data was transformative in helping me to take the next steps to manage my blood pressure, especially using the personal hypertension journal on the app.
I was impressed with how quick this was to set-up was and how easy it was to perform on my own.
Body Cardio Smart Scale
To finish off the heart health trifecta, I decided to give the smart scale a go, which is said to be “a cardiovascular check-up at every weigh-in”.
I must admit, this scale is the epitome of cool from both a technology and wellness perspective.
Lifestyle can affect the age of our arteries, and Withings has developed an algorithm to estimate the age of our arteries and provide a clearer picture of overall cardiovascular health. Not only does this scale measure your heart rate and body weight, but it also provides a full body composition analysis including muscle mass, fat mass, water percentage (to ensure we are hydrated) and bone mass. As weight and BMI are key elements in heart health, this scale and its metrics were able to provide a much clearer picture of tailored health insights, weight trends and proactive goal setting.
Similar to the BPM Connect and Smartwatch, I was impressed with the level of accurate data provided from the smart scale, and how empowered this data made me feel to confidently take the next steps in my wellness journey. With other cool elements, such as weather forecasting and “real-life modes” this is an all-around perfect scale. I am even now excited to step on the scale and see the results!
Beautiful, intelligent and incredibly accurate, I was thoroughly impressed by all three Withings products. While heart health is often something that can be overlooked or a journey where some simply don’t know where to begin, Withings is empowering consumers to take control in an effortless way. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, these products were simple to use and understand, while still packing an informative and data-driven punch.
Want to calculate your heart age?
Withings has even created an online test for you to try at Withings World Heart Day.
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