Oura users may get a jump scare or some reassurance later this month once the smart ring’s latest health-tracking feature rolls out. Oura is announcing Cardiovascular Age, a new metric from the smart ring that will tell users whether their cardiovascular age is older or younger relative to their chronological or “real” age.
To get your CVA estimate, Oura says it analyzes age-related observations in a photoplethysmograph (PPG) signal, which can reflect information about arterial stiffness (how thick or stiff your artery walls are) and pulse wave velocity (a measure of arterial stiffness and pressure moving blood vessels). After at least 14 days of using the Oura App, Oura will be able to give you an estimate on whether you’re averaging below or above your chronological age.
Your heart age and real age are considered to be in “alignment” when the two are within five years of each other.
Another feature rolling out to Oura users at the end of May is Cardio Capacity, or a measurement of how much oxygen a person can use while exerting themselves. Oura is positioning VO2 max for its smart ring as a “benchmark of health span and longevity,” the company said in a press release. VO2 max is a metric traditionally used by athletes wanting to improve their performance.
To get Cardio Capacity, Oura says users will need to take a “walking test” to establish a baseline VO2 max.
Both heart-health features are meant to give users a more complete picture of how different body systems are connected and how health metrics may impact one another. Like other health and wellness information you get from wearables, you shouldn’t take the new heart-health features as medical advice, and you should go to your doctor with any concerns.
Users will be given strategies to help move, sleep and de-stress alongside their weekly and monthly trends in Cardiovascular Age and Cardio Capacity. It’s been widely established that just about every factor of wellness including sleep quality, stress exposure, physical activity, general diet and even the level of social connectedness someone has can impact their heart or cardiovascular health.
The new heart-tracking features will roll out later this month. They’ll be available for Android and iOS users with the Oura Ring Gen3 devices, which start at $299 and require a $6 monthly subscription.
