If you've been monitoring your blood pressure, or the pressure of a loved one, with mobile software right on that handy smartphone you might want to stop and go to the doctor and get a true reading.
The same is true if you rely on YouTube videos regarding blood pressure treatment.
New research reveals using the Internet and mobile apps to manage blood pressure may not be the most reliable approach given measurement error and potential misleading data.
The research centers on two different studies. One involved assessing and reviewing YouTube video instructions and one third apparently don't have correct information. In addition the videos offer up advice and alternative medical advice that isn't sanctioned by any formal group such as the Food and Drug Administration.
"It's quite concerning," said lead researcher Dr. Nilay Kumar, who is scheduled to present the findings Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in New York City.
The news comes as consumers and patients are eagerly downloading and using new mobile healthcare apps and services given cost efficiency and real-time access to data and medical insight. The clamor for such new technologies has federal officials assessing what regulations may be needed on smartphone devices and even apps that may constitute being a medical device.
Almost one third of the U.S. populations suffer from high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The second study reviewed the accuracy of two home blood pressure tools that are connected to iPhones. The software tracks a user's blood pressure numbers and shares it with doctor. Both the smartphone and the app were determined to be inaccurate when compared to blood pressure screenings taken in a doctor's office. One device gave numbers too high and another provided numbers too low, states the study.
The researchers say that such technologies need to be better monitored and vetted before being taken as viable tools by consumers.
"This technology clearly needs better refinement," said Dr. Domenic Sica, president-elect of the American Society of Hypertension. Sica was not involved in either research effort.
