Weight a minute: Bathroom scales detect arteriosclerosis, cardiac arrhythmia

Stepping on the scale could one day revel more than just weight. Researchers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) Institute of Biomedical Engineering in Lithuania have developed a multifunctional scale that could detect conditions such as arteriosclerosis or cardiac arrhythmia.

The developers, led by Vaidotas Marozas, director of the KTU Institute of Biomedical Engineering, aimed at making a scale a more collaborative health tool.

The current prototype includes a body composition scale and handle bars equipped with sensors and electrodes. The device is able to assess a user's arterial condition by measuring the time for a pulse to travel from the heart to the feet.

"We are measuring the speed of blood pulse wave: The faster the speed, the stiffer the arteries, which, in turn can already warn about the development of arteriosclerosis. The latter can be the cause of increased blood pressure and other conditions,” said Birut Paliakait, KTU biomedical engineering student.

Researchers are currently working with medical professionals to develop the scale to detect the development of hyperkalemia, a buildup of potassium in the blood of a patient undergoing dialysis.

"We are continuously increasing the number of parameters that can be measured using our scales. For example, alongside arterial stiffness, the scales can also detect cardiac arrhythmia. I believe, in the future, the multifunctional body composition scales will measure more than 20 various health parameters,” said Marozas. "Our technology is less complex than that of a smart phone, which needs expensive materials and elements. We are creating data processing algorithms, and our main resource is our intellect.”