Heart Health

Apple Health

Now a standard feature on your iPhone, the Health dashboard can help you keep track of steps taken, calories burned and nutrition.  Another feature is that the owner can create a personal emergency card that stores vital health information such as blood type, allergies, medical conditions, medications and emergency contacts. Those who choose to can also participate on ResearchKit – a platform for medical researchers to use the tools on the iPhone to gather data for projects and studies.

Portable Heart Monitors

Like the saying goes, “there’s an app for that!”  Heart health is no different.  Take, for instance, AliveCor – the smartphone case has two sensor points that can produce an accurate ECG reading in only 30 seconds. Other devices (and their corresponding phone apps) like Angel offers an alert of irregular heart rates and can keep track of blood oxygen levels.

Another option is the iHealth Wireless Pulse Oximeter.  Together with the app on your phone, the portable pulse oximeter can give you a reading on your blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate. The iHealth company also makes a wireless blood pressure wrist monitor and wireless blood pressure monitor that provide instant feeback.

Other apps help the user compile data over time and remind the user to monitor their heart health. The Blood Pressure Companion app, for instance, helps the user track blood pressure readings and organize the information into comprehensive reports. There are hundreds of apps working to improve the health of the user. One app – PulsePoint – even uses GPS to notify those trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when there is someone in their area with an emergency needing CPR.

Apps to help stop smoking

According to the American Heart Association, almost one third of deaths from coronary heart disease are attributable to smoking and secondhand smoke.  Apps like Smoke Free not only help the user keep track of their smoke-free days, but also how much money the user has saved by not purchasing cigarettes. Quit Smoking: Cessation Nation also provides games for the user to focus on when a craving hits and aims to connect users with support and motivation from other app users.

Fitbit

The popular fitness tracker brand offers six different products – while some track your steps only, their latest products will also track your heart rate, floors climbed, active minutes and sleep.  Prices range from $59.95 to $249.95.

Photos courtesy of Apple, SmokeFree, Fitbit and Alivecor.