Tech to the rescue -
New medical devices can help you
By LIZ NEPORENT
Most of us leave the interpretation and management of basic bodily functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and metabolism in the hands of doctors and other health-care providers. Now, thanks to a trio of new, user-friendly gadgets, we Average Joes and Janes have a more independent way to monitor these physical stats. Used in conjunction with advice from your doctor, they can help you take control of your own health and well-being.
Exhale therapy
Experts recommend taking deep breaths whenever you're ticked off or stressed out. Now research shows deep breathing can also help lower blood pressure.
Sucking in air any old way won't do. "Metronome breathing, where you inhale and exhale at the same pace, doesn't appear to have any lasting effect on blood pressure," notes Joseph Marek, M.D., a renowned cardiologist with the Midwest Heart Specialists in Chicago, one of the largest cardiology private practices in the country. "But when you prolong the exhale there is something about that breathing pattern that achieves the desired effect."
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the Resperate (http://www.resperate.com), a device that teaches users proper breathing techniques to reduce blood pressure. About the size of a CD player, the Resperate sports a chest strap that measures blood flow; it uses relaxing music and a gentle visual pulse to gradually guide you toward taking slower, deeper breaths overall with an emphasis on extended exhalations.
A recent American Journal of Hypertension investigation found that using the machine for 15 minutes daily for eight weeks sent signals to the brain causing the muscles around the blood vessels to relax and open so that blood flowed more easily. "It's difficult to learn how to do this type of breathing on your own. For some reason many patients, especially older patients, seem to relate to this device much better than doing a downward dog in yoga," Marek says.
Most people who use the Resperate see significant improvements in their blood-pressure readings whether or not they take medication as well. Sending blood pressure readings to below 140/90 can significantly slash risk of stroke and heart and kidney disease. The unit is priced at $299.
Wearable weight loss
The word "metabolism" refers to how many calories your body burns to power all of your activities, from blinking your eyes to walking to the subway to taking a kick-boxing class. And when you know how many calories you burn, it's pretty easy to figure out how many calories you can eat and still lose weight.
The innovative HealthWear Armband by BodyMedia is the first consumer device to provide accurate information about daily calorie burn. Using it is simple: Strap the Walkman-size SenseWear unit onto your arm and wear it throughout the day. Go about your business as its sensors gather data about heart rate, perspiration, movement, and other physical measurements. Then sync up wirelessly to the BodyMedia Web site so it can calculate how many calories you've burned. Its accuracy is within 4% of that of more sophisticated medical equipment.
John M. Jakicic, Ph.D., an obesity researcher who is chairman of the Department of Health and Physical Activity at the University of Pittsburgh, notes that the scientific community is on board with the concept and has been using a similar gadget for several years to help severely overweight people associate their excess weight gain with overeating and underexercising.
In some cases, wearing the Armband has helped people drop enough weight to avoid bariatric surgery, otherwise known as stomach stapling, because, Jakicic speculates, once people truly relate the numbers to their lifestyle, they can make changes accordingly. "It's the most accurate device like it that is available on the market. It's much more accurate than using a pedometer," he says.
The BodyMedia software also allows you to track your diet manually if you wish. You can also set up the Armband to give you exercise, mealtime and stretch-break reminders. Currently, the unit is available only as part of a six-week personal-training package offered at more than 150 local gyms; later this year it will be sold separately at a reduced cost. For more information or to find a participating gym, go to www.bodymedia.com or www.apexfitness.com.
Motivational monitoring
Heart-rate monitors were originally designed as a less expensive way to gauge heart rate as precisely as the EKG machines used by cardiologists and they've been used by exercisers for at least a decade. But the Polar 625X heart-rate monitor goes far beyond simple pulse measurement.
For starters, the foot-pod shoe attachment uses inertial sensor technology, the same type of system used in aerospace navigation, to tell you how far you've gone and how fast you're moving with a high degree of accuracy. "It combines information about acceleration and foot angles to give you continuous feedback," says exercise physiologist Neal Pire, president of the Greater New York Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Unlike units that rely on global satellite positioning, "this monitor isn't prone to interference from weather or tall buildings," Pire adds.
For people focused on losing weight, the monitor provides calorie estimates based on age, weight, sex and fitness level that are more accurate than the guesstimates you find in standard calorie charts. And for people trying to get in shape, it tracks heart rates over time and tells you whether you're overtraining or need to get your butt off the couch more often.
"Some people are very driven by numbers and if you are, this type of device will almost compel you to do your workouts. The fact that you get all of this information is much the same as using an exercise log, which tends to help you stick with your program pretty well and work at the right levels more readily," says Pire.
All workout stats can be downloaded to a PC or beamed to a Nokia mobile phone. The monitor is available locally at the Gym Source and Paragon Sports and on the Web at www.polarusa.com for $314.95.
Originally published on November 30, 2004.
