We specialize in heart rate and pulse analysis. We decided to focus on blood pressure too because it is a key heart health indicator, so we created an iPhone app to log and analyze blood pressure.
During development, we faced various challenges. But in the end, we created a great feature for tracking and analyzing blood pressure on the iPhone. In this article, we will share the details with you.
Development Process
Our journey began with studying user needs. We conducted many surveys and interviews to understand what features are needed in a blood pressure app. Based on this data, we started creating a prototype.
Our goal was to make a high-tech app that provides users with the most useful information about their blood pressure. At the same time, this information had to be easy to understand, and the charts had to be easy to read.
First Challenge: difference in US and EU blood pressure norms
We faced the issue that blood pressure standards are not interpreted uniformly. In the US and the EU, they differ roughly like this:
US norms according to American Heart Association
EU norms according to European Heart Journal, Volume 39, Issue 33, 01 September 2018, Pages 3021–3104
We decided to show interpretations according to both standards, so you can make your own conclusions.
Design of iOS Blood Pressure App
We carefully designed our iOS blood pressure app to ensure it is both functional and user-friendly.
We opted to recreate the traditional method of measuring blood pressure with a manual sphygmomanometer: first, we pump air into the cuff, then gradually decrease the pressure.
The heartbeat becomes audible at the upper pressure limit. Initially, the person measuring blood pressure identifies this upper limit. Consequently, we opted to replicate this process within the app.
For user convenience, we also display previous measurement results. They are color-coded according to the standards.
Unique Features
Not many people know that in addition to standard parameters like systolic and diastolic blood pressure, it’s possible to calculate other important metrics. In our app, we calculate these metrics and display the current values with explanations, along with a history of measurements.
Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP)
We calculate and display MAP (Mean Arterial Pressure). MAP represents the average pressure in a person’s arteries during one cardiac cycle. It’s a crucial indicator of perfusion pressure, reflecting blood flow to vital organs.
Pulse pressure (PP)
Additionally, we calculate and display Pulse Pressure, enhancing your understanding with a clear description. Pulse Pressure (PP) represents the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings, illustrating the force exerted by the heart during each contraction and playing a crucial role in evaluating cardiovascular health.
What Wellhero Provides for Analyzing and Monitoring Blood Pressure
As you can see, Wellhero is more than just an app for measuring HRV. We are evolving to encompass all aspects of cardiovascular health. We have developed excellent blood pressure analysis, available in the app’s free version without a subscription. Subscribing unlocks additional parameters: Vegetative Index, CEBC (Coefficient of Economization of Blood Circulation), and RPP (Rate Pressure Product).
All these metrics can help you learn more about your health and prompt you to seek medical advice when needed.
Please note: Wellhero does not measure blood pressure but rather saves and analyzes the results you input. You will still need a specialized device for measurements.