Withings Body Cardio smart scale is as impressive as it is frustrating

Going beyond recording the now-standard aspects of what we’ve come to expect from a smart scale — weight and body mass index — Withings's latest smart scale, the $179 Body Cardio, can record your heart rate, and something called pulse wave velocity. 

According to Withings, these two data points can be a strong indicator of your overall health. Is there any truth to it? I decided to find out.

Besides sounding like an overly complicated medical term, just what is “pulse wave velocity?” In simpler terms, it’s a measurement from the amount of time a wave, created each time your heart beats, takes to travel through your arteries. The faster the wave, the stiffer your arteries are, in turn indicating an increased risk of health issues. The slower the wave, the healthier your heart is.  Read more...