"Game-changing" 24/7 BP monitoring system launches

Aktiia has announced the UK launch of a 24-7, automated blood pressure monitoring system that gathers data during the day and while sleeping. 

This medical innovation will now provide people and their physicians insights into blood pressure patterns that will better inform the diagnosis and management of hypertension. Aktiia has received its CE Mark as a Class IIa medical device.

Millions of people worldwide are at risk for severe health complications and death due to untreated or uncontrolled hypertension. The average person with hypertension measures their blood pressure only once per week due to the inconvenience and discomfort associated with a traditional cuff. 

Aktiia measures blood pressure over the course of hours, days and weeks without any effort required by the wearer. The data is then visualised in a free companion application and can also be shared with a physician or family member to detect concerning blood pressure changes.

The core technology was first developed at the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM). Aktiia was then founded in 2018 by Dr. Mattia Bertschi and Dr. Josep Sola and includes some of the world's leading scientific and technical experts in optical blood pressure monitoring including CTO, Dr. Josep Sola, a pioneer in cuffless blood pressure monitoring and editor of "The Handbook of Cuffless Blood Pressure Monitoring” - Aktiia has been validated in multiple clinical studies across a diverse population of wearers in multiple body positions.

Dr. Neil Poulter, professor of preventive cardiovascular medicine at Imperial College London, said: “Hypertension is the number one cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death worldwide.

“Accurate blood pressure measurement and particularly 24/7 monitoring of blood pressure is increasingly recognised as being important to improve the diagnosis and control of raised blood pressure, thereby improving patient outcomes. Tracking blood pressure over long periods, without alerting the patient represents a potential game changer in the diagnosis and monitoring of hypertension.” 

Aktiia’s Optical Blood Pressure Monitoring (OBPM) algorithms leverage optical sensors worn on the wrist and provide blood pressure values by analysing photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals generated by the change of the diameter of the arteries occurring at each heartbeat. This optical measurement is done automatically. 

Mike Kisch, CEO of Aktiia, said: “With cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death across the world, people need to better understand the impact of their lifestyle choices and physicians need the ability to more deeply understand blood pressure patterns so they can change the way that they diagnose and treat people living with hypertension. After 15 years in development and one million blood pressure readings, Aktiia has cracked the code to bring to market the world's first automated 24-7 blood pressure monitoring system.”