Hasso-Plattner-Institut
Prof. Dr. Erwin Böttinger
 

Discovery of Digital Biomarkers for Hypertension

Ariane Morassi Sasso

Hypertension is one of the most prevalent conditions worldwide and can lead to serious cardiovascular complications such as ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction. Currently, monitoring blood pressure relies on a cumbersome cuff that inflates to slow the flow of blood, which is uncomfortable and makes continuous monitoring difficult. In addition to the discomfort in measuring, high blood pressure is mostly asymptomatic, leading to hypertension being undiagnosed in several cases. In this project, I aim to utilize recent advances in sensor technology included in smartwatches and activity trackers to discover ‘digital biomarkers’ for blood pressure, which can be used to monitor hypertension in daily life and help prevent serious cardiovascular diseases.