Withings launches Vascular Age - measures how old we are on the inside of our body

We think of chronological age as our actual age, but rarely do we consider how old we are on the inside of our body. With Withings´ new feature Vascular Age, users will be provided with a measurement of their arteries’ age to give them a clearer picture of their cardiovascular health. The new feature will be available to all current and future users of Withings Body Cardio from 4^th of May.

Withings, pioneers of connected health objects, now announces that, in addition to measuring heart rate and full body composition, its Body Cardio scale will now feature a new cardiovascular index – Vascular Age. Developed by leading cardiologists, Vascular Age provides a daily, easy-to-understand assessment of arterial health. It accomplishes this by showing people how their cardiovascular health compares to the norms expected within their age bracket, with an estimate of their inner heart age and an indication of whether it is optimal, normal, or non-optimal for their chronological age.

Ever since Withings invented the world´s first connected scale in 2009, they have been European market leader of the category. When they launched Body Cardio in 2016, it was the first body composition smart scale with pulse wave velocity tracking. With the new Vascular Age feature they have innovated the device even further with an instantly recognizable index to help users better understand their health and maintain or change behavior to live a healthy lifestyle. According to the WHO, cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death on a global scale, impacting an estimated 17.9 million lives per year.[1] With so many lives lost each year caused by cardiovascular diseases, the ability to monitor heart health from home with medical-grade insights is imperative.

Determining Vascular Age

Vascular Age is based on Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV), a measurement of arterial stiffness that is a key indicator of cardiac health. It is widely used in clinical settings to provide early warnings of associated risks of cardiac and health incidents such as hypertension, high cholesterol, heart failure, stroke and heart attack. It is the speed at which the blood pressure pulse propagates through the circulatory system. The stiffer the vessels are, the higher the pulse wave velocity, which is a marker for increasing vascular aging.[2]

To determine PWV, Body Cardio measures the time difference between blood ejection by the heart in the aorta and the arrival of blood flow in the feet. The feature was introduced in 2016 and with over 80 million readings, Withings has one of the largest PWV databases in the world, which against multiple scientific papers has shown to be highly representative against the general population.

To determine Vascular Age, Withings’ algorithm analyzes a persons’ PWV measurement against the norms for their age and physical characteristics. Created by leading cardiologist, Prof. Stéphane Laurent of Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Vascular Age is expressed both as an actual age (+/- range against chronological range) and as an indication of whether a person is optimal, normal, or non-optimal – which is presented on the Body Cardio scale. The Withings Health Mate app will show additional information including an estimation of the vascular age as well as exercise and nutrition advice to improve cardiovascular health.

The Importance of Vascular Age

Usually, arteries age more slowly than the rest of the body. However, they can age faster when constantly aggravated by items such as cigarette smoke and foods laden with saturated and trans fats. If vascular age is determined to be significantly greater than a person’s chronological age, they may be more at risk of developing cardiovascular issues later in life.

Vascular age is a metric recognized by the scientific community and often used as a wellness tool. With this new feature, Withings Body Cardio provides cardiovascular check-ups in less than 30 seconds in a metric that is easy to understand, put into perspective, and tracked over time.

“Body Cardio redefines how people use connected scales by providing them with a tool to manage their weight as well as their cardiovascular health,” said Mathieu Letombe, Withings CEO. “By simply stepping on their scale each morning, Body Cardio will provide the type of cardiovascular assessment people normally only receive at a doctor’s office. By linking the information to age, an index everyone understands, we are making it easy for people to stay informed and motivated to make healthy choices.”

Smartest of Smart Scales

Body Cardio is packed with features to help people achieve their weight loss and maintenance goals. In addition to weight and BMI readings, Body Cardio also provides a full assessment of body composition. Using a scientific technique called biometrical impedance, it computes the body's percentage of fat, muscle, water, and bone mass. It is also able to take a user’s heart rate.

The Withings Body Cardio can sync via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Its additional advanced features include its rechargeable battery with up to 1-year battery life and automatically recognizing up to 8 users in a family.

Availability

Vascular Age will be available to all current and future users of Withings Body Cardio and those with the older versions of Nokia Body Cardio devices, from 4^th of May 2021. Body Cardio is available for 149 EUR at Verkkokauppa.com and Gigantti.fi.

For more information on Body Cardio, please visit: www.withings.com