Popular blood pressure app misses the mark

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-03/jhm-pbp022916.php

Public Release: 2-Mar-2016
Popular blood pressure app misses the mark
Study in 85 volunteers found highly inaccurate measurements and showcases weakness of unregulated mobile health applications, researchers say
Johns Hopkins Medicine

A popular smartphone app purported to accurately measure blood pressure simply by placing a cellphone on the chest with a finger over the built-in camera lens misses high blood pressure in eight out of 10 patients, potentially putting users' health at risk, according to research from Johns Hopkins.

Although the app, called Instant Blood Pressure, is no longer available for purchase, it was downloaded more than 100,000 times and is still functional on phones, the researchers say.

•••••