Smart thyroid hormone test launched 

Innovative self-testing system allows screening for hypothyroidism, educates the user about TSH, and provides advice on influencing factors, including the most typical symptoms

SWITZERLAND: Swiss medtech company Bloom Diagnostics has launched its Bloom Thyroid Test to help detect hypothyroidism. Bloom Diagnostics is an innovative medtech company that has developed a smart self-testing system for a wide range of medical conditions. The single-use kit can be used to test adults for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) as a means of detecting thyroid dysfunction in adults.

The Bloom Thyroid test received the approval certificate from the Notified Body, which will allow lay-users to perform the test at home. Previously, the product had already been approved for professional use and was launched at the Bloom Store. The Bloom Thyroid Test is designed to screen for hypothyroidism in individuals 18 years of age and older. The user is required to take a pin-prick blood sample that is captured in the Bloom Test strip and deployed into the Bloom Lab device. Cloud-based algorithms then aggregate test results with other measurable health status indicators alongside medical history, lifestyle, and individual symptoms, giving rapid, fully encrypted feedback through a personalized report on the Bloom App. The entire smart testing process takes around 10 minutes.

The Bloom Thyroid Test asks the user to input information on whether they are taking medications, such as Lithium or Amiodarone, as these are known to have an impact on thyroid function. The smart test also considers if women are currently pregnant, have given birth in the past 12 months, or if they plan on conceiving in the near future. This is due to thyroid hormone production increases during gestation, making TSH tests during pregnancy often unreliable.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone, also known as TSH, is the main regulator of the thyroid function and stimulates the release of thyroid hormone secretion. Several factors can influence TSH levels and they are known to vary during the day due to their natural circadian rhythm. Elements such as exposure to extreme temperatures, stress, exercise, and fasting may also influence TSH levels. In the case of hypothyroidism, if the thyroid is underactive and produces too few hormones, TSH levels increase in order to stimulate the thyroid to produce more.

The results are provided by the Bloom System in a report which includes detailed, user-friendly, and up-to-date information on the needs of users based on their circumstances, including special advice for women that are planning pregnancy, insights about the most typical hypothyroidism symptoms, and risk factors. In addition, for those with elevated TSH levels, the report observes potential influencing factors and facts about treatments.

According to the European Society of Endocrinology, thyroid disease is among the most common endocrine disorders, affecting millions of patients throughout Europe. In addition to this, research by NCBI revealed that hypothyroidism is caused by a failure of the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones in 99 per cent of cases. The Mayo Clinic a non-profit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research states that hypothyroidism may not cause noticeable symptoms in the early stages but if left untreated, the condition can lead to a number of health problems, such as obesity, joint pain, infertility, and heart disease.

Commenting on the latest announcement, Angelica Kohlmann, MD PhD, Co-founder and chairperson at Bloom Diagnostics, said:

“The Bloom System aims at impacting the healthcare market by making smart testing accessible to consumers and professionals in a range of sectors. The newly approved Bloom Thyroid Test provides a great opportunity to generate personalized recommendations and health advice to millions of users suffering from hypothyroidism. This is one of many rapid at-home tests to become available, bringing Bloom Diagnostics one step closer to making healthcare accessible for all.”

For more on Bloom Diagnostics please see www.bloomdiagnostics.com/

Notes to Editor:

About Bloom Diagnostics

Bloom Diagnostics is an innovative medtech company whose hardware and software can identify a range of medical conditions, using a combination of advanced biotechnology, cloud computing and scientific research. Bloom Diagnostics’ sophisticated system allows consumers to take control of their own health. Through its next-generation technology and personalized data insights, Bloom Diagnostics applies machine learning to improve results and analyze data that may eventually help develop new therapeutics. Founded by Dr. Angelica Kohlmann and Thomas Kupper in 2018, it is headquartered in Zurich and also has offices in Vienna. With a team of 60 employees, Bloom Diagnostics has plans to drive expansion across Europe and the USA. For further information, visit: https://www.bloomdiagnostics.com/

Angelica Kohlmann

Angelica Kohlmann serves as Chairperson of the non-executive Board of the Company. She holds a MD and doctorate in medicine from Hamburg University (GER). She has been Chairperson of the Advisory Board Peter Drucker Society Europe / Global Peter Drucker Forum, Vienna (since 2009) and is a non-executive Board member of private and public companies including Teralytics AG (since 2014) and Lonza Group (since 2018). She is also a serial investor in successful companies, with multiple exits, as the latest of CTRL-labs, which was sold to Facebook.

For interview requests or media enquiries, please contact:

Garreth Browne 
Senior Account Executive 
ClearStory International 
M: +353 (0)83 872 8008 
O: +353 (0)1 961 0048