Abstract P304: Persistent Use Of Aktiia 24/7 Blood Pressure Monitor Is Associated With Lower Blood Pressure In Hypertensive Patients

Abstract

Introduction: Cuffless blood pressure (BP) monitors are a promising innovation for hypertension diagnosis and monitoring. Aktiia (Aktiia 24/7 BP Monitor, Aktiia, Switzerland) is a CE-marked, commercially available BP monitor that passively and continually collects BP waveforms via optical sensors at the wrist. After initial cuff calibration, the app displays BP estimates on a smartphone. No data exist on the impact of persistently showing a person their BP data with this device. Hypothesis: If people with hypertension persistently use Aktiia and are exposed to their BP data, there will be a change in behavior resulting in measurably lower BP. Methods: We analyzed the systolic BP (SBP) trends of 838 real-world users (Age 57±11, 14% female) who consistently used Aktiia for 6 months (375±287 app interactions, 3646±1417 cuffless readings per user, and 9±7 cuff readings per user). Users were grouped by the mean monthly SBP (<140 and >140 mmHg) calculated over 6 months. Then, cuff SBP averages were calculated monthly and compared to the SBP average of the first month. A t-test analysis was used to detect the difference in SBP between the first and successive months. Results: Hypertensive users (SBP > 140 mmHg) saw a reduction in SBP of -3.2 mmHg (CI: -0.70, -5.59, p<0.02), beginning at 3 months and sustained through 6 months. For users with SBP < 140 mm Hg, the mean SBP remained unchanged (Fig. 1). Conclusion: Persistent BP monitoring with Aktiia’s cuffless device is associated with a significant, sustained reduction in SBP for hypertensive patients at 6 months. Possible explanations include the Hawthorne effect or intensified treatment.