Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide for both men and women. Despite being largely preventable, heart disease continues to top the list in terms of mortality and morbidity, as well as financial cost. Here at Bodyport we’re determined to change that. Bodyport’s mission is to prevent and ultimately eliminate heart disease by empowering every person with high-quality, actionable health information in their home.

The Bodyport mission was born in 2015 when co-founders Corey Centen and Sarah Smith were inspired to create technology that could take on heart disease from a preventative perspective. Historically, the approach to heart disease has been reactive — think medical intervention following a cardiac event or changes to medication after hospitalization. What’s more, many people only get access to information about their heart health once they’re in a clinical setting, many times not realizing their disease has worsened until they end up in the hospital.

With these issues in mind, the team designed the Bodyport Cardiac Scale, a non-invasive scale that captures cardiac function and could detect early signs of heart disease in just 20 seconds. Even better, these measures of heart performance are captured just through the user’s feet, no wearable equipment necessary. Bodyport’s technology is incorporated into a bathroom scale form factor, taking advantage of a staple item that is already found in most households. The result is a sleek but familiar device that’s easy to use and easily incorporated into people’s daily routines. Cardiac monitoring becomes a simple, daily step that enables people to frequently access their heart health information from the comfort of their own home.

Care teams can also access that heart health information without the patient ever coming into a doctor’s office. Bodyport’s technology enables health care providers to remotely assess their patients and monitor trends in cardiovascular metrics and body weight. These trends can help indicate when a patient is at risk of deteriorating, leading to earlier intervention and reduced hospitalizations. Preventing avoidable hospitalizations will not only reduce the financial burden of heart disease but significantly improve the quality of life for patients too.