Medical benefits of Tensana
What benefit do patients get from using Tensana to monitor their blood pressure?
We analyzed our users' blood pressure readings, which were of course anonymized. The data were collected to demonstrate positive effects on care as part of a trial under Section 139e(4) of Book Five of the German Social Code.
In the analysis we included users who recorded at least 5 measurements during the first 8 days of use and at least 5 measurements in the period 90 to 97 days after first use. The average blood pressure in the first 8 days had to be at least 140/90 (this could mean that both values were elevated, or that only the systolic or diastolic pressure was elevated). The analysis was carried out in early 2022 with user accounts created from January 2021 onwards.
Result:
High blood pressure at baseline (>=140 or >=90)
Accounts: 2229
of which on medication: 850
Guest: 616
of which on medication: 100
Of those with normal blood pressure at the end (<140 and <90)
Accounts: 1338 (about 60%)
of which on medication: 519 (about 61%)
Guest: 334 (about 54%)
of which on medication: 58 (about 58%)
Total: 1672 of 2845 (about 59%)
Change
Users without meds: -10.12/-5.88
Users with meds: -12.10/-7.07
Guest without meds: -8.50/-4.82
Guest with meds: -9.50/-5.95
Accounts: 2229
of which on medication: 850
Guest: 616
of which on medication: 100
Of those with normal blood pressure at the end (<140 and <90)
Accounts: 1338 (about 60%)
of which on medication: 519 (about 61%)
Guest: 334 (about 54%)
of which on medication: 58 (about 58%)
Total: 1672 of 2845 (about 59%)
Change
Users without meds: -10.12/-5.88
Users with meds: -12.10/-7.07
Guest without meds: -8.50/-4.82
Guest with meds: -9.50/-5.95
This means that nearly 60% of our users who had high blood pressure at the start show normal blood pressure after 90 days.
<irony>That's a sensation. The app cures high blood pressure in 2/3 of all patients in one quarter. Blood pressure is reduced by 10 or 8.5 mmHg even without medication!</irony>
That's one way to read it, and unfortunately some others do so. But of course that's not true. There are reasons for that:
1. Just because someone doesn't enter their medication in the app doesn't mean they're not taking any.
2. There is a huge selection bias, meaning a distortion, because people who seriously want to tackle their high blood pressure are more likely to use an app. These people may also have started changing their lifestyle at the same time. This cannot then be generalized.
In other words: without a randomized control group, statements about blood pressure reduction are not meaningful. The gold standard would be a placebo-controlled trial. However, that's not possible here, since people can tell whether or not they're using an app. Accordingly, the results would need to show a very high level of statistical significance. The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices repeatedly points out a large placebo effect in hypertension.
And these are exactly the reasons why we don't yet have a study on the medical benefits of Tensana. To do this properly, we'd need to study a very large number of patients. Such a study is simply far beyond our resources.
What we can more easily show, however, is that app users simply understand the topic better, measure their blood pressure more regularly, and take their medication more reliably.
Comparison to DiGAs
In a real-world cohort of 487 anonymized Tensana users receiving ongoing antihypertensive therapy, systolic blood pressure fell by an average of -12.2 mmHg after 13 weeks (95% CI: -13.1 to -11.2). The observed changes are of a similar magnitude to those in the HELP study of the (former) DiGA "Vantis" (-12.4 mmHg) and the HYPE study of the DiGA "Oviva Direkt Bluthochdruck" (-11.2 mmHg), but are not directly comparable because of the non-randomized design. The overall population of all eligible app users (n = 1,951) showed a reduction of -10.6 mmHg-a clinically relevant value. This shows that relevant changes in measured blood pressure values can be observed with app use, without this being taken to indicate a causal treatment effect.
Long-term analysis
In January 2024 we analyzed how users' blood pressure developed over 5 years (60 months).
This article is from Tensana – the leading app since 2011, helping hundreds of thousands of people monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 02/2026).
Author Horst Klier has been closely involved with high blood pressure since 2002 – initially because he was personally affected and, since 2009, as the developer of Tensana – and is now regarded as a recognized blood pressure expert thanks to his app and specialist platform, used millions of times, as well as his numerous publications. As the author of several health guides and specialist articles, he communicates complex knowledge in a clear and practical way.
Author Horst Klier has been closely involved with high blood pressure since 2002 – initially because he was personally affected and, since 2009, as the developer of Tensana – and is now regarded as a recognized blood pressure expert thanks to his app and specialist platform, used millions of times, as well as his numerous publications. As the author of several health guides and specialist articles, he communicates complex knowledge in a clear and practical way.
