What to Look for and Which Ones to Choose?
Blood pressure is one of the most important health metrics to track. Blood pressure above the normal range can lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure [1].
One of the first things which doctors recommend to their hypertension patients is to start tracking their blood pressure as a critical treatment success factor.
Dr Peter Attiia, interviewed on the Huberman Lab Podcast podcast [2] recommends his patients to measure and log blood pressure twice per day.
For sure one can track blood pressure in a paper log but mobile apps are a modern and more convenient way of doing it. There are many blood pressure log apps available on the market, but not all of them are created equal. In this blog post, we will discuss the key features that users are looking for in blood pressure tracker apps. We also review five of the most popular tracker app on the market.
What Users Are Looking for in Blood Pressure Tracker Apps
According to our research, the key features that users are looking for in blood pressure tracker apps include:
Ease of use: The app should be easy to use and navigate.
Customization: Users want to be able to customize the app to their specific needs
Data sharing: Users want to be able to share data with their doctor.
Insights: Most users would like to understand what activities/medications help to keep their blood pressure in the normal range.
User reviews and ratings: Take the time to study them thoroughly before downloading
Reminders: The app provides reminders to take blood pressure readings.
Cost: The app should be affordable.
IMPORTANT: At the time of writing this post (August 2023) there are no mobile apps which allow you to take blood pressure readings without an external blood pressure monitor. You can measure your heart rate and stress with your phone’s camera, but not blood pressure. Many people ask: how about Apple Watch blood pressure? As of August 2023 one can’t measure blood pressure with an Apple Watch either.
Blood pressure monitors with an upper arm calf are the most accurate. Though wrist based monitors generally are less accurate than upper arm monitors, some newer models produce acceptable results. Some of these devices, i.e. Aktiia, do not have an inflatable calf and hence they are less intrusive and allow for 24x7 blood pressure monitoring.
How to enter data into a blood pressure tracking app?
There are two ways of doing it:
1. Take blood pressure readings with a regular blood pressure monitor and then transfer the data manually into the blood pressure tracking app.
2. Use one of the Bluetooth enabled blood pressure monitors which work with Apple Health or Google Fit. In this case the blood pressure readings are automatically transferred to user’s Apple or Google accounts and then seamlessly pulled from there by a blood pressure tracker. For example QardioArm, Withings BPM Connect and some Omron models are highly rated by users and provide this functionality.
What is the best app to track blood pressure?
We have reviewed five of the most popular blood pressure tracker apps on the market.
SmartBP. SmartBP is one of the most popular blood pressure log apps that offers easy-to-use interface, and customisable data tracking.
Pros:
Easy-to-use interface
Insights
Broad selection of graphs
Supports Apple and Android
Cons:
Graph details may be overwhelming
No educational resources
Blood Pressure Tracker+. Another popular blood pressure log app which offers a broad set of features: medication tracking, educational resources, and the ability to share data with your doctor.
Pros:
Easy-to-use
Customizable data tracking
Medication tracking
Ability to share data with doctor
Cons:
User feedback suggests that it is expensive vs the features provided
Omron. Omron is a well-known brand of blood pressure monitors. The combination of the device and their blood pressure monitor app offers a very straightforward solution for most users with basic needs.
Pros:
Accurate readings from Omron devices
Extensive set of graphs
Share the data with your doctor
Cons:
New app interface is overloaded and many user reviews find it confusing
The app pulls data from Apple Health with errors
Doesn’t support 3rd party blood pressure monitors
Qardio. Qardio is another well-known brand of blood pressure monitors, and their app offers a variety of features. Qardio also manufactures a set of health monitoring devices to read your weight and even take your ECG. Qardio provides an app which collects the data from all these devices (and also 3rd party devices) and helps to monitor your overall heart health.
Pros:
Accurate data readings from Qardio devices
Easy-to-use
Customizable data tracking
Medication tracking
Supports both Apple and Android
Cons:
Many users report slow responsiveness of the app.
BreathNow: This is the only app on the market which includes a blood pressure tracker, heart rate and stress monitor plus guided exercises to lower blood pressure and anxiety. Full disclosure: our team has created BreathNow based on our own personal experience of fixing high blood pressure without medications. It is one of the most popular blood pressure app for Apple Watch.
Pros:
Blood pressure tracker app with reminders
Free blood pressure tracker
Insights and reminders
Measures heart rate and stress with Apple Watch or iPhone’s camera
Broad set of breathing exercises and other guided calming techniques
Share data with your doctor
Cons:
Currently available only for Apple
Conclusion
There are a number of great blood pressure tracker apps available. They offer the same basic functionality and differ primarily in additional features and price. If you are looking for a more holistic approach to blood pressure management, then BreathNow is a good option.
Remember, as of August 2023 NONE of the mobile apps can take blood pressure readings. Such technology simply does NOT exist yet. Use external blood pressure monitors preferably with Bluetooth connection to pass the data seamlessly to Apple Health or Google Fit.