Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a significant health concern that affects over a billion globally. As a leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke, which are among the primary causes of death in the United States, understanding and managing high blood pressure is crucial for long-term health and well-being. 

High blood pressure develops over time and is often linked to a combination of genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors. It's called the "silent killer" because it can be asymptomatic for years, making awareness and early detection vital. Regular monitoring of blood pressure is essential for early intervention and management. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides comprehensive resources that define high blood pressure and its causes, and that emphasize the importance of measuring and monitoring blood pressure.

Interpreting your personal health data

At Evidation, we harness the power of personal health data to shed light on the modifiable factors (things you can change!) that may contribute to developing high blood pressure. By analyzing responses from your health surveys along with your wearable data – such as alcohol usage, smoking history, activities, and sleep patterns – we can identify key lifestyle patterns that may influence your blood pressure.

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The image above represents a range of health and lifestyle factors, and where you might fall compared to official guidance from the CDC and the American Heart Association (AHA) for managing high blood pressure or improving cardiovascular health. 

The blue bars stretching towards the right of the center line show where you are compared to the recommended range. These factors may have a positive influence on your blood pressure. For instance, if you sleep 9 hours per night on average, you’re well into the recommended range of more than 7 hours of sleep per night, which can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.

The red bars that don’t extend beyond the center line indicate areas for improvement. If, for example, your aerobic minutes are less than 150 minutes per week on average, the red bar suggests that a beneficial change would be to increase your physical activity, in particular your aerobic minutes (for example, by spending more time doing moderate exercises, like brisk walking, biking, or mowing the lawn). Increasing your physical activity may lead to an improvement in cardiovascular health and may improve hypertension prevention and management.

The path forward

Our goal at Evidation is to empower individuals with actionable insights. By understanding where you stand, you can take informed steps to maintain the positive behaviors and address the areas where change could lead to better health outcomes.

Monitoring personal health data is a proactive step towards understanding and mitigating the risks associated with hypertension. By focusing on modifiable lifestyle factors, we can work towards prevention and improved health. For more information on how to manage and prevent high blood pressure, visit the CDC's High Blood Pressure page.

Get your hypertension insight on Evidation

New to Evidation and want to see insights like this? Be sure to connect your fitness apps or wearable devices. Learn how here. 

Not yet part of the Evidation community? Download the app today to unlock personalized health insights.

While many people work to reduce the amount of belly fat they have because they don't like the effect it has on their appearance, the negative effect of excess belly fat goes beyond what we see in the mirror. Carrying excess body fat can have many serious health consequences.

If you have excess belly fat, there are plenty of options to help. Taking a holistic approach that incorporates both diet and lifestyle changes, as well as setting realistic goals can help you move toward becoming your healthiest self. Using your health data trackers (such as your smartwatch, fitness apps, nutrition apps, etc.) can help provide you with information that lets you know whether you're moving toward your goals. At Evidation, we're here to help! With your permission, we'll analyze your health data to provide you with personalized insights that can help you improve your overall wellness.

Here, we'll explore why belly fat is so dangerous and take a look at some of the options you have to make positive changes that can help reduce the amount of belly fat you're carrying.

Understanding belly fat: Causes and health implications

In order to understand why excess belly fat is so dangerous, it's important to understand the difference between visceral (belly) fat and subcutaneous fat, which lies just beneath the surface of the skin and can be easily pinched. Visceral fat settles deep in the body, surrounding both abdominal organs and the heart. The fat cells in this area secrete cytokines, chemicals that can cause endocrine and cardiovascular issues.

Excess subcutaneous fat poses far fewer health risks than excess visceral fat. Research shows that too much belly fat is associated with a higher likelihood of developing heart disease. People with higher levels of visceral fat are also more likely to develop asthma, dementia, and certain types of cancer.

The best way to understand the amount of belly fat you're carrying is to have a CT scan or MRI performed in a doctor's office, but there are simpler ways to understand whether you're at risk for conditions associated with excess visceral fat.

Some ways to understand whether you're likely to be carrying excess visceral fat include:

• Be aware of your body type. People who have "apple" body shapes (tend to carry most of their weight in their abdomen) are more likely to have excess visceral fat than people who are "pear" shaped (tend to carry their weight in their hips and thighs).
• Keep tabs. Measuring your belly regularly (at the level of your belly button – not at the smallest part of your waist) can help you understand whether you're carrying too much visceral fat. Generally, a waist measurement of more than 35 inches in women or 40 inches in men indicates that an unhealthy level of visceral fat may be present. If you have a large body size, it can be helpful to simply keep track of your waist measurement so that you can know whether your waist is getting larger over time.
• Use the height-to-waist ratio. Some medical professionals prefer using this method to gain insight into the amount of visceral fat a person is carrying. To calculate your height to waist ratio, take the circumference of your waist in inches and divide it by your height in inches. A healthy ratio is 0.5 or below in both men and women.

Dietary strategies for losing belly fat: Nutrition tips and meal planning

Visceral fat accumulates when we eat more calories than we burn. Creating a healthy nutrition plan is a smart first step to help you win the war against visceral fat.

Your breakfast can go a long way in helping you reduce belly fat. Some registered dietitian-recommended breakfast options that can help blast visceral fat include avocado toast topped with an egg, oatmeal with nuts and fruit, or a fruit salad packed with fiber-loaded produce like berries, bananas, and kiwi.

Enjoying a balanced lunch and dinner is also key in helping your body burn visceral fat. Being sure you're getting enough iron and plenty of fiber can help to slim your belly. Incorporating foods like pumpkin seeds, kidney beans, avocado, kale, beef, lamb, squash, and navy beans into your lunches and dinners can give your body the support it needs to burn away belly fat.

The effect of exercise on belly fat

Whether you're trying to lose belly fat or simply want to feel your best, regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. When you exercise and stick to a nutrition plan that's right for your body, research shows that you can burn existing visceral fat or prevent it from growing in the first place. Both strength training and aerobic workouts can help to reduce belly fat.

An important note: while crunches, planks, and other abdominal workouts can strengthen your core muscles, it's not possible to spot-reduce fat. These exercises can be a healthy part of any exercise program, but hyper-focusing on abdominal exercises during your workout won't make you lose belly fat faster.

Stress management techniques: Addressing cortisol levels and its impact on belly fat

When our bodies experience stress, the adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol. This is a part of your body's natural fight or flight response. Cortisol slows down certain body processes, so you can focus all of your energy on responding to the threat at hand.

Cortisol is helpful in the short-term, but constant cortisol release due to prolonged stress can have negative health effects, including an increase in blood pressure and visceral fat. Today's high-pressure, ever-changing world can make it tough to slow the release of cortisol.

Stress management is a key part of any healthy lifestyle, and it can be especially important if you're working to reduce the amount of visceral fat in your body. When you practice stress management strategies, you can support your body's ability to reduce cortisol levels, which may help you lose dangerous visceral fat.

Helpful stress management tools can include:

• Yoga
• Meditation
• Exercise
• Spending time with a pet, friends, or family
• Journaling
• Mindfulness activities (like grounding)

If you're struggling to manage stress on your own, it's important to reach out to a counselor or therapist. Doing so is not a sign of weakness–it's a sign of strength and power to ask for help to feel your best.

Importance of sleep for fat loss: Tips for optimizing sleep quality

Researchers are still working to fully understand the connection between sleep and weight. Research has shown that in recent years, Americans have gotten less high-quality sleep. During the same years, Americans tended to report higher body weights, leading researchers to want to know more about the connection between sleep and weight.

Research suggests that people who get the right amount of high-quality sleep are more likely to have a healthy body weight than those who do not get high-quality sleep. While this relationship is still being studied, some research shows that a lack of sleep is linked to an increase in ghrelin (a brain chemical that causes the body to experience the feeling of hunger) and a decrease in leptin (a brain chemical that causes the body to experience the feeling of being full).

There are several simple steps you can take to make it easier for you to get the rest that you need, including:

• Set a bedtime routine and stick to it. Going to bed and waking up at about the same time can help fight fatigue.
• Put screens away. An hour or two before it's time to bed, shift away from TV, computers, and your phone. Take the time to unwind, read a book, enjoy hobbies, or spend time with family instead of staring at a screen.
• Exercise. Physical activity can help you fall asleep more easily and provide you with high-quality rest. You may need to think about working out earlier in the day if exercise in the evening gives you an energy boost.
• Stay away from alcohol. While it may be easy to fall asleep after a drink or two, you likely won't get the rest that you need to feel your best. In the event that you do have a drink in the evening, be sure to drink at least an equal amount of water to keep your body hydrated as you rest.

Role of hydration in reducing belly fat: Hydration tips and its effect on metabolism

Drinking water can help your body burn fat in several ways. Research shows that getting enough water can boost the metabolism by stimulating thermogenesis–the process by which the body produces heat. When you drink water, your body has to use energy to warm the water to your body temperature. That being said, this effect isn't likely to make a big difference when it comes to the number you see on the scale, but there are several other reasons why getting enough water can help you reduce fat and achieve a healthy weight.

Staying hydrated boosts the impact of exercise. When your body is dehydrated, our muscle cells break down, making workouts less effective. Drinking enough water also makes it easier for your body to release heat through sweat, allowing you to feel more comfortable during your workouts.

The general rule of thumb to follow when it comes to hydration is to drink half of your body weight in ounces each day, and more if you're working out, spending time in hot weather, or are pregnant or breastfeeding. It can be tough to keep track of how much you're drinking each day. Using a tracker on your phone or smart watch can help you be sure you're getting the water that you need. When you sync your tracker with Evidation, we'll be able to provide you with tips and tricks to ensure that you're meeting your daily health goals.

Tracking fat loss progress with Evidation: Utilizing the app's features for monitoring changes in body composition

When you're working toward weight loss, it can be motivating to see that your hard work is paying off. While we can't help you track your exact loss of belly fat, we can help you track things like sleep patterns, exercise, and mood so you can get a holistic picture of your health and how it relates to your weight loss journey. As we analyze your progress, we'll be able to offer personalized articles, tips, and insights that can help you take the steps necessary to continue moving in the right direction.

Incorporating lifestyle changes: Sustainable habits for long-term fat loss success

It can be hard to figure out how to make habits stand the test of time. Developing strategies to keep you on track even after motivation and willpower begin to fade can help you maintain the habits that effectively help you burn belly fat.

Some tips to help your habits stand strong over time include:

• Be realistic. Your habits should be achievable. Choosing habits that offer some flexibility (for example, working out four days each week instead of committing to spending two hours in the gym every day, no matter what) can help you stay on track, even when life gets in the way.
• Get your family on board. If you're concerned about how belly fat is affecting your health, talk with your family about the lifestyle changes that you want to make to feel your best. Their support can help you stay on track, and they may even be inspired by your influence and start their own health journey.
• Make appointments with yourself. You wouldn't cancel an important appointment with your doctor, and it's important that you treat yourself with the same respect. Scheduling time to exercise, meal prep, cook, and de-stress can help you remember to make your well-being a priority.

Evidation: Here to support every step of your wellness journey

At Evidation, we're here to help you move toward your healthiest, happiest life. If you're searching for the best way to lose belly fat, we're glad that you found us, and we're excited to provide you with the insights and information you need to move forward in your health journey. Learn more about how Evidation works here, and download the app today–we're excited for you!

We believe in using real-time data to drive your health journey--and to make advancements in medicine. With millions of members, Evidation is proud to partner with organizations across a variety of sectors--including biomedicine, healthcare, technology, non-profits, and government--to utilize data to create a healthier world.

What is Evidation?

In 2012, Evidation was founded with a mission to use everyday health data to help both Evidation users and health-related organizations understand health and disease. We believe that data can provide unique insights into world health that can drive positive change.

Evidation doesn't just use health data to help organizations create effective treatments and health initiatives. A key part of our work is helping our users understand health data (such as that collected by wearable fitness trackers). We're here to support you in your journey to wellness. The rewards we offer for taking positive action can help encourage you to stay on the right path.

Understanding Evidation

You already know that the insight provided by your fitness tracker is invaluable when it comes to figuring out how to best manage your health. At Evidation, we put your data to good use, allowing you to contribute to the greater good. We use your health information to drive health research, while keeping your privacy and safety protected every step of the way. 

We do not and will not sell your personal information. We will share your health data outside of Evidation only with your consent or at your direction, and to provide our services.

You can learn more about your privacy rights and how we use your personal information by visiting our Privacy Notice. You can also learn more by contacting our Privacy Office at privacy@evidation.com.

How Evidation works

Good news: if you're thinking about using Evidation as your health tracking app, the setup process is easy. You'll connect your activity tracking devices to the Evidation app, and we'll take it from there. We'll ask you to answer questions and read articles based on your personalized health needs.

After you connect your wearable fitness trackers to the Evidation app, you'll get information on your health data that allows you to make informed decisions that can boost your health and wellness. 

When you connect your health tracker, the Evidation app will provide you with insights on actions you take to feel great and move toward your health goals. We understand that improving your health is not a one size fits all process, and it's important to us to provide you with the personalized help that you need to become your healthiest self. When you complete action items that Evidation suggests, you'll be rewarded. For every 10,000 points you score on the Evidation app, you'll get a $10 reward, which you can either pocket or donate to a charity of your choice.

In addition to providing you with actionable items to encourage you to work toward becoming your healthiest self, we're proud to use the information we gather from your data to help healthcare professionals drive research forward--with your permission. If your data shows us that you're eligible to participate in health studies, we'll reach out to invite you to be a part of the future of medicine.

The science behind our approach to improving health

Transparency and trust are key when it comes to our mission, and we believe in a user-focused approach. We never share your data without your permission, and you have the ability to revoke data permissions at any time.

We're constantly working to develop new ways to help you--and our healthcare partners--make the most out of your health data. Our team has the expertise required to develop digital strategies that allow us to use your health data in the most effective way possible. With the ability to both move your health forward and drive medical research, Evidation uses your health data to benefit both you as an individual and the medical community as a whole.

Key features and benefits of using Evidation

When you use Evidation, you aren't just getting the same data that you're getting from your fitness tracker. Our insights can help you see how your daily choices and habits affect your well-being. When considering the pros and cons of fitness trackers, most of our users find that understanding data makes the use of a tracker a net positive.

We help you track things like your daily mood and sleep quality with simple check-in questions, then provide you with insights about how your activity impacts things like your mood or sleep–and how these things impact your activity levels. We're here to make your data work for you, one piece of information at a time.

From logging what you eat to taking surveys that provide insight on your daily habits, we'll use your information to help you understand your body, your health, and create a brighter future.

Why tracking matters

Knowledge is power, and when you use your fitness tracker paired with Evidation, you'll get the information you need to earn rewards--all while improving your health.

Let's take a look at some ways that you can stay motivated to move, track, and earn.

Try something new

Feeling bored of your routine? Trying something new can help. When you change up your workout, you're better able to avoid plateaus, protect yourself from injury, and stay engaged in your journey to health. Switching up your nutrition from time to time by trying new foods and recipes can also help lessen the likelihood of getting tired of your meal plan.

Set achievable goals

Setting attainable goals can help you stay on track, and seeing your progress can be one of the benefits of fitness trackers. Understanding your why, getting clear on what you want to achieve, and creating a timeline that keeps you accountable can help you move toward success.

Get competitive

Social motivation can push you forward in your goals, and friendly competition is a fantastic way to boost both your health and the health of those around you. Whether you compete against your achievements last week or you set up a weekly step challenge with your coworkers, working toward a win can help you stay on track.

Download Evidation today

If you're ready to take charge of your health by putting your data to work, we're ready to help. Last year, our 5 million members took 951 billion steps and made countless contributions to the future of medicine. Download the app today to start learning how you can make simple changes to take your health to the next level.

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Many researchers generally agree that personality is made up of 5 unique traits: 

• Conscientiousness (organization, productiveness, responsibility)
• Extraversion (sociability, assertiveness; its opposite is Introversion)
• Agreeableness (compassion, respectfulness, trust in others)
• Openness (intellectual curiosity and creative imagination)
• Neuroticism (tendencies toward anxiety and depression)

Some people may have very high or low levels of a trait, but most of us fall somewhere in-between. 

What is openness?

‍Openness describes how intellectually curious, imaginative, and appreciative of art and beauty someone is.

• Those with high levels of openness are generally open to new activities and ideas. They tend to be creative, curious, and sensitive to art and beauty. 
• Those with low levels of openness tend to be traditional, practical, and like to stick with conventional ways of doing things. They prefer the familiar over the new, and the concrete over the abstract. 

Why does openness matter for health and health decision-making?

Although openness doesn’t strongly or consistently relate to health, people can still use their understanding of their level of openness to change their health behaviors and make them more likely to stick.

We recently offered our members the opportunity to take a survey to see where they fall on the spectrum for openness. If you’re an Evidation Member who took the survey and received your openness results, read on to understand what a high or low score may mean for your health. If you’re not a member and want to see results like these, download the Evidation app.

I scored high on openness. What could this mean for my health?

If you’re high in openness, and thus enjoy exploring new activities and ideas, you may be more motivated to stick with a varied physical activity schedule than a familiar routine. 

If you have a hard time turning healthy behaviors, like exercise, into habits, try adding variety. For example you may try… 

• Going for a walk at a new spot
• Creating a new music playlist to run to
• Signing up for an exciting race you need to train for 

Finding new ways to fulfill your intellectual interests–like music, art, or something else–may also help boost your well-being. You may find these hobbies to be especially helpful when you’re feeling stressed.

I scored low on openness. What could this mean for my health?

If you scored low in openness, you may find it easier to stick with familiar exercise routines or healthy recipes than it is to try new ones. 

If you haven’t found healthy behaviors that work for you, try a few out until you find one you like, and make it a habit, such as…

• Making a healthy taco dinner every Tuesday
• Aiming to walk with a friend every day at the same time 
• Going to the same evening yoga class each week

Though personality traits are only one small part of your health and well-being, learning more about yourself may help you to find healthy routines and behaviors that stick. 

Want to receive more personalized health insights? Complete cards daily in the Evidation app and, if you haven’t already, connect a compatible health app. 

Don’t yet have an Evidation account? Download the app today!

At Evidation, we’re focused on meeting people where they are and helping them along their health journey. Our engaged community of members represents 96% of U.S. counties and includes individuals across ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. This community puts us in a unique position to learn from one another and contribute to meaningful health research.

With a mission of helping people participate in better health outcomes, we're committed to identifying opportunities that are inclusive of all and educating ourselves on the social issues that are impacting the world. To truly achieve our mission of helping people participate in better health outcomes, we recognize we have more work to do. Our commitment going forward:

• Provide our members with educational content around health and race curated by our team of researchers.
• Put in place more inclusive study opportunities for members to participate in.
• Do our part as a research company to participate in inclusive clinical research practices to ensure diverse and generalizable results through diverse participant recruitment and participation.
• Hold ourselves accountable by reporting our progress out to our members.

We’re committed to supporting long-term systematic change and stand in solidarity with our Black teammates, Evidation Members, and the entire Black community. We know this is only the beginning of the conversation, and we need to continue to fight for equality. We’ll continue to listen, educate ourselves, take action, hold ourselves accountable, and pledge to do our best to support all communities to participate in better health outcomes.

An immediate change we’re pleased to share is that Evidation Members can now donate their rewards to these charities:

NAACP Legal Defense Fund

The Bail Project

Equal Justice Initiative

Center for Policing Equity

Loveland Foundation

American Civil Liberties Union

Black Girls Code

The Marshall Project

Southern Poverty Law Center

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