Keep an eye on your blood pressure readings
Horst Klier's journey with high blood pressure began in 2002, when he was in his early 30s and elevated blood pressure was detected during a hospital stay. As a programmer with a desk job, he had hardly any muscle, was overweight and was advised by his doctor to exercise and lose weight. This was intended to bring his blood pressure under control – initially without much success. This experience laid the foundation for the subsequent development of his app „Tensana“, which makes it quick and easy to document and analyse daily blood pressure readings – regardless of the blood pressure monitor or operating system used.From Excel spreadsheet to blood pressure app
Horst Klier's goal was to normalize his blood pressure, initially by changing his exercise and eating habits and later through medication. Regardless of the form of treatment, regularly taking and documenting blood pressure readings is essential. As a working professional taking three to four readings himself each day, Horst Klier found it very cumbersome to email them from the office to his home computer and transfer them to an Excel spreadsheet in the evening. He therefore set up the website www.tensana.app for himself so that he could enter his readings there. However, because the site was publicly accessible, he gradually received more and more inquiries from people who also wanted to use this option. From mid-2009, the web-based solution was made available to other users, followed by the app version in 2011. Stefan Waller, an internist and cardiologist from Berlin who aims to promote heart health through his digital educational service „Dr. Heart“, considers the app a helpful daily companion for people with high blood pressure: „I greatly value the Tensana app and recommend it both online on my website and to patients at my practice because of its clear layout and intuitive ease of use. Feedback from patients has so far been positive across the board.“ The compelling feature is that Tensana is independent of the measuring device and operating system and synchronizes data across different devices, from smartphones and tablets to computers. Measuring device manufacturers also offer compatible apps, some of them with cloud synchronization; however, these are tied to the manufacturer and its devices.The latest feature offered by Tensana is the ability to transfer readings via Bluetooth. Horst Klier explains: „There are now blood pressure monitors that support the current Bluetooth standard for blood pressure readings. This allows users to conveniently transfer their readings to the app without entering them manually. The app automatically detects which readings are new and adds them to the overview.“ This also prevents users from making incorrect entries that could distort the analysis.
Horst Klier's service has been well received: More than 350,000 users have now registered with Tensana, and the portal records around 700,000 uses per month. Contrary to what one might assume, they are not all younger users who are enthusiastic about smartphones. „I regularly receive feedback from older people who use the application on their computer or tablet and particularly appreciate how easy it is to enter and analyze their readings,“ says Horst Klier. Another practical feature is that statistics and charts can be created for a doctor's appointment, showing blood pressure trends at a glance – essentially a digital blood pressure record. Simplified documentation also motivates patients to continue taking their own readings over the long term.
The number one health risk
Continuous monitoring of blood pressure is essential, as high blood pressure is the number one health risk in Germany. At first, high blood pressure often causes no noticeable symptoms, but its consequences can be serious. High blood pressure damages the inner protective lining of the arteries and accelerates arteriosclerosis. In this way, high blood pressure gradually causes changes in most organs, which can ultimately lead to heart failure, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and many other organ complications. „Two-thirds of untreated high blood pressure patients die from coronary heart disease or heart failure,“ warns Dr. Stefan Waller. „40 percent of all strokes could be prevented by normalizing blood pressure.“But when is blood pressure considered too high? In general, the current guidelines of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) consider blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg to be normal. The average of several blood pressure readings should be 5 mmHg below each of these values. The causes of high blood pressure can vary widely and are not necessarily organic in nature. Four factors increase the risk of high blood pressure: too little exercise, an unhealthy diet, excess weight and stress.
Expand the app, reduce stress
For Horst Klier, the tool he developed himself is a constant companion in everyday life – and will continue to be so in two respects: First, he is continually working on new features and additions to the app. Second, he is continuing to work on his blood pressure readings: Despite losing more than 30 kg in 2014, his blood pressure remains borderline, with a systolic reading of just over 140 mmHg and a diastolic reading of approximately 95 mmHg. “Reduce stress” is his doctor's advice. As a self-employed father of five, that is not so easy. But Horst Klier is optimistic: “Children do eventually grow up.”
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Images:
Image 1: By developing his app, Horst Klier has found a way to easily integrate regular blood pressure self-monitoring into everyday life.
Image 2: “Horst's Tensana”: The personalized app provides every user with clear analyses covering extended periods, for example.
Image 3: Exercise is part of the routine: To keep his blood pressure and weight under control, Horst Klier does strength training in his home's basement gym.
Downloads:
Contact Tensana:
Horst Klier
horst.klier@Tensana.app
klier.net GmbH & Co. KG
Tensana
Schwabach
Press:
Wiebke Reichardt
Tel.: +49 (0)911 / 598 398-0
Fax: +49 (0)911 / 598 398-18
w.reichardt@wassenberg-pr.de
Wassenberg Public Relations for Industry & Technology GmbH
Rollnerstr. 43
D-90408 Nuremberg
