Withings’ Latest Scale Can Also Keep An Eye On Your Heart

Nokia's latest acquisition was Withings, which it bought for $191 million. Then, the company put it in charge of their digital health department with the introduction of the Body Cardio, a flagship scale that not only measures the body mass index and composition, but also judges cardiovascular health by measuring the time it takes for blood to pump through the body.

Withings Body Cardio scale review: Goes way beyond weight, for a price. https://t.co/Ok1AZno4W7 pic.twitter.com/oerusBJzVj

— Macworld (@macworld) June 8, 2016

According to The Verge, the Body Cardio costs $179.95, and it, along with Withings' other scale, the $129.95 Body, is health-tracking and high-tech. It syncs with an app and gives more information that you've ever seen on a scale before, including your heart rate and even the weather. Today, the Body Cardio's Pulse Wave Velocity tracker, which measures your heartbeat vibration through your arteries, is recognized by the community as an indicator of cardiac health. A faster PWV indicates high blood pressure, stiff arteries, and a risk of hypertension. Lower blood flow speed indicate more flexible arteries and better health.

While it may seem extreme, is especially useful for those who have high blood pressure or has a family history of heart problems.

But how can the scale figure all that from just your feet? According to the company, as cited by Engadget, it measures subtle change in weight, which usually happens when your aortic valve opens. The scale's embedded electrodes also allow it to register when the blood arrives toy your feet. By measuring the time it takes to do that, the scale can also calculate your height, which can then lead it to calculate your PWV.

It doesn't measure blood pressure yet, but according to Withings' co-founder Eric Carreel, the PWV is a better gauge for heart health because the sphygmomanometer, which normally measures blood velocity, can be expensive. Withings' scale, on the other hand, can be available for anyone, and provides a "good correlation" with medical grade sphygmomanometers, based on the tests conducted at two French hospitals.