Index BPM is smart blood pressure measure device fully integrated into theGarmin Connect platform. With this new feature and device, you can keep regular checks of your health and follow trends, respectively discover any iregularities of your health and avoid health complications in advance.
Index BPM, however, can be used as standalone porable unit that could be used in "guest mode" for example at medical office.
What's actually different abou this device from the other market units which are cheaper?
As far as the principle of measurement is concerned, the pressure measurement here is carried out using a proven method:
You take the cuff and wrap it around your arm so that it fits well. When the measurement starts, the pressure in the cuff begins to increase (by inflating the bladder inside the cuff). The pressure in the cuff must exceed the pressure in the artery (the cuff thus acts as an artificial obstacle in the blood flow). By gradually and slowly reducing the pressure in the cuff, blood flow is restored. The pressure from the cuff causes the artery to deform, and the blood flow becomes turbulent.
The digital blood pressure measurement method works on the oscillometric principle. This method involves determining the pressure value at which there are the largest changes in the artery during the gradual release of pressure. The tonometer does not determine systolic and diastolic pressure values directly but calculates the mean arterial pressure value and derives both limits from it.
After obtaining both numbers - systolic and diastolic pressure - the result is expressed in the format "systolic/diastolic" in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). For example, "120/80 mmHg" is normal blood pressure.
It is important to measure blood pressure regularly, as high blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease and vascular problems.
The BPM Index works exactly as we would expect. Those who are not technically skilled can use BPM as an "offline" blood pressure monitor, which displays the numbers on the screen after the measurement.
The main feature, however, is hidden "inside." The BPM Index can be paired with Garmin Connect Mobile just like sports watches. During setup, it will ask you about the profiles that will be stored in the blood pressure monitor. The setup takes a moment and is very intuitive.
Even after setting up personalized profiles in the blood pressure monitor, you can still change the profile to "guest" before measurement and use the monitor for anyone else who is not registered.
The measured information is then uploaded via WiFi through the local network or via mobile through the BT connection to your Garmin Connect profile, and the results and trends can be viewed in the "Health" section.
Index BPM will want users, who already own the weight Index S1 or S2. With these, the full insights system of your health will be complete.
Garmin is thus the only one capable of tracking the following metrics in a home environment using appliances for personal use and delivering them into one system to monitor trends that you can correlate and evaluate, or present to your doctor to supplement information about your health status – which is quite significant for some users:
- Weight
- Body composition (muscles, water, fats)
- Blood pressure development
- Resting heart rate trend development
- Sleep statistics and patterns
- Measurement of nighttime skin temperature changes (watches with Elevate V5 optical sensor)
- ECG measurement (currently only for the US market and only for watches with the Elevate V5 optical sensor)
After pairing the BPM with Garmin Connect, Connect will also ask if you want to set a reminder for daily pressure measurement – it will then pop up on the desired days and times, so you don't have to worry about forgetting to measure.
I'm not saying that a blood pressure monitor, especially one from Garmin, is a necessity that you can't do without. It's just another piece of the puzzle that Garmin provides to users for their convenience and health monitoring. In the past, we didn't need such "gadgets" and our doctor measured our blood pressure once a year. However, with the increasing range and frequency of lifestyle diseases, monitoring our health is useful, especially when you realize "now I really need to stop... or slow down."
Regarding the accuracy of the measurement, it is a homologated product, so the accuracy is the same as what you would get in a hospital. And I have been through enough lately, so I have more real comparisons and testing with the blood pressure monitor than with testing the accuracy of GPS watches.
Subjective Evaluation
I was never into this... measuring myself. But with the Index BPM... you just insert the batteries, turn it on, pair it, and... results, graphs... everything is in Connect in a moment... very user-friendly. The measurement takes a few seconds and is not bothersome, so you put it on in the morning, measure it every time you wake up, and don't have to worry about it anymore. The only thing that's a bit "out" is the price - almost 4500 CZK. But it is a product that can be used by multiple users and lasts for years. So, thumbs up from me.
Oh... and you put on the cuff with the display facing you - so you can see the display ;-)