Hypertension, the ‘silent killer’, is the leading cause of heart disease and stroke, affecting millions of people across the UK and globally. Enter Hilo – the non-invasive, passive and wearable blood pressure companion, designed to deliver clinical accuracy, convenience and continuous tracking for those looking to understand and take control of their overall health. With Hilo, users no longer need to worry about tracking their blood pressure manually: the device continuously monitors it for them, offering peace of mind without any extra effort.
With 20 years of research and innovation behind it, Hilo’s breakthrough technology is available to the UK market as a Class IIa medical device. Unlike traditional cuffs or smartwatches that require manual activation, Hilo’s lightweight wristband passively captures blood pressure readings throughout the day and night, delivering up to 800 measurements per month – all without disrupting the user’s daily life.
Why is Hilo a game-changer in wearable health tech? Its ability to capture the whole picture of an individual’s BP pattern, backed by robust clinical validation. The Hilo Band also offers passive step tracking and sleep insights, displaying daily movement totals and rest and recovery patterns alongside blood pressure data, helping users understand not just their numbers, but the lifestyle factors that influence them.
Continuous monitoring provides a comprehensive, holistic picture of a person’s blood pressure and enables users to understand how everyday behaviours, like sleep and movement, shape cardiovascular health and long-term wellbeing, helping them make better-informed decisions to optimise their health.
So, how does it work?
Unlike conventional monitors that rely on invasive and painful cuff inflation done in a very specific body position and setting, Hilo’s technology leverages optical sensors similar to those in smartwatches and wearable devices and a deep-learning Pulse Wave Analysis algorithm to deliver blood pressure readings:
-
PPG Sensor: A green light shines on the wrist to detect artery pulsations, using the same sensing principle as optical heart rate monitors.
-
Optical Signal Processing: Hilo goes beyond heart rate tracking by analysing the shape of each pulse wave rather than just counting beats.
-
OBPM Algorithm: The waveform of the skin arteries contains hidden blood pressure information.
-
Blood Pressure Extraction: Hilo’s proprietary algorithm filters noise and extracts accurate blood pressure values.
Decades of clinical research highlight the importance of frequent, accurate blood pressure measurements at home. Hilo offers insights that go beyond sporadic clinic visits, allowing for:
-
Monitoring nighttime blood pressure, a key predictor of cardiovascular risk.
-
Personalised data and insights, building a comprehensive picture of blood pressure that can help physicians create tailored recommendations for interventions.
-
Tracking the impact of lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise and stress management.
As of 2019, approximately 33% of adults worldwide were estimated to have hypertension. Alarmingly, about 46% of those with hypertension are unaware of their condition, and among those diagnosed, a substantial number do not have it under control. The consequences are severe, with hypertension leading to around 10 million deaths worldwide and costing the global economy £260 billion annually. In the UK alone, £2.1 billion is spent annually on hypertension care, with 12% of GP visits related to managing hypertension.
Traditional blood pressure monitoring methods are outdated, sporadic and often misleading due to factors including poor positioning, incorrect cuff size and low frequency of measurement. The European Society of Hypertension and European Society of Cardiology now recommend out-of-office blood pressure monitoring for more precise diagnosis and treatment. Hilo aligns with these new guidelines, helping users and their doctors make informed, personalised decisions based on real-world data.
By layering in daily movement and sleep patterns, Hilo enables users to contextualise their blood pressure trends, revealing how behaviours such as activity levels, recovery and sleep consistency directly shape cardiovascular health over time. The result is earlier awareness, clearer patterns and deeper insight into long-term risk.
Developed by global experts in blood pressure monitoring, Hilo is supported by 13 clinical trials (and counting) and more than 40 peer-reviewed publications. Unlike traditional methods, Hilo provides accurate readings in multiple body positions, ensuring consistency and reliability no matter the user’s activity or rest state, allowing users – for the first time – to see their real-life daily patterns of BP and trends over months and years.
Hilo reflects a broader shift toward continuous, real-world health data as a foundation for preventive medicine, with its subscription-based model reinforcing its commitment to long-term health support rather than one-off metrics. The subscription offering provides users with continuous access to clinically validated insights, evolving features and ongoing innovation, positioning Hilo as a lifelong cardiovascular companion rather than a standalone device.
Hilo Band £79.99 at Hilo.com
Annual app subscription for £119.99
