New Phone App Measures Stress Levels

A new phone application could help relieve stress, according to researchers at Intermountain Healthcare in Murray, Utah. They created a test through the new app that can measure stress levels in under 10 minutes.

"We have designed a method by which anyone with a smartphone will be able to measure their salivary cortisol level quickly, easily and inexpensively," said lead investigator Dr. Joel Ehrenkranz, director of diabetes and endocrinology at the health facility, via Reuters.

The new app works by measuring cortisol levels, otherwise known as the stress hormone. It comes with a case, a light pipe and a lens, which allows users to easily take saliva samples and place it on an assay strip in a cassette. The sample is then placed into a reader, which consists of a lens and light diffuser that are connected to the phone's camera and flash. The app can then read the chemical makeup and calculate cortisol levels in less than 10 minutes.

"Parts of the United States and the rest of the world that lack facilities to measure cortisol will now be able to perform this essential diagnostic test," Dr. Ehrenkranz added. "Also, measuring salivary cortisol with this technology will provide a way for individuals to monitor their personal biometric stress levels easily and inexpensively."

The app does not require batteries and cost around $1 to make. The smartphone test will cost just under $5 to purchase and will be available in other countries. However, researchers are first working to test the app's success in other areas.

More information regarding the findings were presented at the International Society of Endocrinology and the Endocrine Society meeting (ICE/ENDO 2014) in Chicago, Il.