What if there were a way to see the future of your health through a simple blood test? This test would assess your susceptibility to certain cancers and present your cholesterol, blood health, fatigue, glucose, and more in the context of longevity and holistic wellness.
While this vision appears similar to Elizabeth Holmes’ blood test startup Theranos, the end product this time comes from a different company — and could produce life-changing results. Best known for its smart ring, Ultrahuman has now launched Blood Vision, its advanced blood-testing platform, in the US on Tuesday, with an annual membership that will cost you $800.
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Blood Vision takes blood tests to a whole new level and assesses blood markers “in the context of lifestyle factors and longevity,” according to Ultrahuman. The ranges for these markers were created from “cutting-edge research,” Ultrahuman said.
Blood Vision users visit a medical lab and provide eight to ten vials of blood. This blood is then assessed for over 120 blood markers, which cover substances found in blood, such as glucose, cholesterol, proteins, and more. The results are summarized and delivered by an AI-powered clinician through the Ultrahuman app. The company also offers a mid-year blood assessment, which measures over 60 blood markers.
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Collaboration between medical facilities and wearable brands, such as Ultrahuman, is a common trend in the health technology field. The traditional health and wearable health sectors are increasingly joining forces to deliver initiatives and products, such as Blood Vision.
Smart ring maker Oura Ring recently announced a partnership with Essence Healthcare, where the healthcare brand provides its patients with Oura Rings to gain further and continuous insights into their health data.
Though currently unavailable, Whoop teased an Advanced Labs feature in its Whoop MG tracker, which also provides blood tests and clinician exams to users. Advanced Labs incorporates the data collected through the Whoop MG for further data interpretation by a clinician.
Initially, when Ultrahuman reached out to me, I was intrigued and excited to try out the feature. However, I became wary when I was told I had to give eight to ten vials of blood and have that health data stored on a startup’s app. I feared that tech brands might not follow the same security playbooks as fast-emerging healthcare companies that store your data.
Also: How I learned to stop worrying and love my health tracker
Ultrahuman’s privacy policy says users have the right to request details of health information collected, request the deletion of data, and “the categories or entities with whom we have shared your data and the reason for any disclosure.”
The blog post also states: “You own your data and control our usage of your data. We will never sell your data to third-parties. 🌞”
It’s my duty as ZDNET’s wearable health tech editor to try out products that are quite literally at the bleeding edge, but am I risking my privacy by doing so? What do you think? Should I give eight to ten vials of my blood over to this startup in the name of being a wearable tech lab rat? Leave a comment with your suggestions.
Source: Robotics - zdnet.com
