Nokia has been forced to disable the Pulse Wave velocity feature that allowed its Body Cardio scale to measure arterial stiffness and high blood pressure, according to an updated FAQ from the company. The scale used the speed at which heartbeat-generated vibrations spread out along arterial walls and the time it takes for blood to flow from the heart to the feet to go well beyond the measurements a normal bathroom scale can make. But In the company’s updated support document, Nokia said it has learned the PWV measurements “may require a different level of regulatory approval. In light of this, the decision was made to turn off the pulse wave velocity feature.”
The non-optional firmware update will remove the PWV feature from all of the Body Cardio scales in use, and Nokia has stopped selling the Body Cardio scale until it can begin shipping the product without the PWV feature included. The document includes instructions to download any data that had been previously accumulated from the PWV feature, but will no longer be displaying that data on the company’s Health Mate website or app. Nokia is emailing customers to inform them of compensation and refund options for the scale and hasn’t made a decision yet about whether it will attempt to bring the PWV feature back in the future.