MOCAheart Makes Cardiovascular Health Monitoring Accessible To Millions

New blood flow velocity index that simplifies at-home heart health tracking is correlated to blood pressure

This World Heart Health Day (September 29, 2015) monitoring and managing cardiovascular health just got easier and more accessible for millions with today’s launch of MOCAheart from MOCACARE. Boasting beauty and brains, MOCAheart is an elegant smart device that gives people an intuitive new way to track their heart health without the need for bulky cuffs or complicated monitors.

Utilizing a “press and go” technique, MOCAheart combines thumb scans with sophisticated algorithms that measure blood flow and velocity to determine heart rate and blood oxygen levels, as well as an easy–to–understand indicator of overall cardiovascular health called the MOCA INDEX — a qualitative measurement of blood flow that is correlated to blood pressure. While systolic and diastolic figures can be hard to understand or remember, the MOCA INDEX is a simple 1–5 scale that provides an instant snapshot of your cardiovascular health.

Heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading causes of death, claiming 17.3 million lives each year according to the World Heart Federation. In the U.S., nearly 70 million American adults have high blood pressure and only about half have their condition under control. In fact, 1 of 3 American adults has pre–hypertension—blood pressure readings that are higher than normal, but not yet in the dangerous range where making simple lifestyle changes can be very effective.

Normal blood oxygen levels are important for maintaining the function of vital organs including the heart, and resting heart rate is known to be one of the most important indicators of our heart health. By tracking the two, in addition to MOCA INDEX, MOCAheart aims to be an everyday tool for consumers in the early detection and prevention of heart issues.

“We are excited to introduce MOCAheart and realize our ambition of empowering people to proactively monitor their heart health without interrupting their lifestyle,” said Naama Stauber, co–founder and COO of MOCACARE. "By combining the latest developments in technology and medical science we have been able to deliver a device that will empower millions to effectively and effortlessly track cardiovascular health in taking action to prevent or minimize the well–known risks associated with heart disease.”

With a gentle grip of the MOCAheart device, the optical sensor scans both thumbs then displays results on the accompanying iOS app within 25 seconds. The simple MOCA INDEX 1–5 scale (Low, Ideal, Raised, High or Very High) provides an immediate, understandable overview of cardiovascular health, explanation of indicators and recommendations on next steps, should any be required.

The MOCAheart App also provides visual graphs of daily, weekly, monthly or annual trends, allowing users to see their heart health insights over time and track progress. It enables users to easily text and share health status updates among loved ones and with their healthcare providers. Users can also set reminders to take readings.

MOCAheart is not a replacement for recommended medical testing, but is a simple and quick tool that empowers people to track their health and take action when results are outside the normal range.

It was designed over two years by a team of experts from MOCACARE, a leader in connected health. Its multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, designers and physicians hail from Stanford, UCSF and California College of the Arts. The team is led by co–founders Daniel Wei–Chen Hong MD, a Neurosurgeon, co–author of Stanford’s Cyber Knife book and an expert in the integration of technology and healthcare practices, and Naama Stauber, a Stanford MBA, computer scientist, and a former Israeli Defense Force technology officer.

The MOCA INDEX was created with reference to multiple and extensive research studies by institutions including MIT & Stanford that have consistently shown a correlation between the pressure exerted by the heart and the speed at which blood travels through the body.

Priced $149.99 and MOCAheart is available online at www.mocacare.com and features:

• Measures Heart Rate (HR), Blood Oxygen Level (SpO2) and MOCA INDEX (MI)
• Materials: Medical–grade stainless steel and biocompatible plastic
• Sensors: Optical sensor and electrode
• Dedicated iOS MOCAheart app (Android coming soon).
• Displays history and trend views and automatically records environmental factors such as weather and location
• Provides ability to add notes to each reading and send results via in–app message
• Battery life: 3 days (3~5 times use per day)
• Battery recharge: 40-60 min by micro USB
• Dimension: 1 3/8” x 2 3/4” x 1/4” (35 x 70 x 6.35 mm)
• Weight: est. 0.7 oz~ 1 oz (20~30g)
• Accessories: MOCA leather keychain, MOCA phone case (currently for iPhone 6 only, Android cases coming soon)
• Supports iOS 8 HealthKit

Since MOCAheart does not offer medical recommendations or is used to diagnose or treat medical conditions, it does not require FDA clearance. MOCACARE does plan to pursue FDA clearance in the future to enhance its offerings using the data collected from MOCAheart for a clinical indication for use.

About MOCACARE
MOCACARE’s mission is to improve the quality of life for its users by creating solutions that bring together the very best in health, technology, science, and comfort. The company’s multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, designers and physician studied at Stanford, California College of the Arts, and John Hopkins University. MOCACARE was established in 2013 and is headquartered in Palo Alto. The company has an engineering center in Taipei and team members are from Israel, Poland, Taiwan and the United States.For more information, visit www.mocacare.com