Lief Therapeutics Launches Lief Rx, World's First Smart Patch for Mental Health, Now Covered By Insurance

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Lief Therapeutics announces Lief Rx, the world's first smart patch for mental health, is now covered by most U.S. insurance plans. Lief Rx is a clinical-grade ECG, discreetly worn under the user's clothing, that trains users to improve their heart rate variability (HRV), the emerging gold standard biomarker for mental health.

Lief Rx's clinical trial found that over 90% of study participants using Lief reported significantly reduced anxiety levels over the course of eight weeks. Participants were also able to significantly increase their HRV 10 points, or almost 50%, in 3 minute exercises with the device. Dr. Nolan Williams, Director of Interventional Psychiatry Clinical Research at Stanford University, explains "As a mental health biomarker, HRV is extremely promising, and Lief has designed a device to both measure and improve it. Lief's approach to tracking and improving HRV may be useful across a wide variety of mental health conditions." Healthcare providers can now offer Lief Rx, an FDA class II device, as an affordable non-pharmaceutical intervention for improving patient mental health.

While more than 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety or depression, many are not aware of how their HRV can exacerbate mental health symptoms. Lief Rx not only detects low HRV levels in real time, but helps users improve it through patented, haptic training exercises known as heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB). Widely cited meta-analyses have found HRVB technology has stronger effects on symptoms of anxiety (ES = 0.83) than either cognitive behavioral therapy (ES = 0.70) or pharmaceuticals (ES = 0.60). Lief Therapeutics C.E.O., Rohan Dixit, shares "Lief gives patients a simple training tool to increase their resilience to mental health challenges. Our mission is to empower millions of people to improve their mental health with a safe and affordable alternative to pharmaceutical drugs."

Low HRV is a clear indicator of heightened stress, which is an underlying factor in up to 90% of all physician visits. In addition to being associated with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, and PTSD, low HRV is associated with numerous other disease states, like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, erectile dysfunction, and more. Dr. Ty Canning, a Bay Area clinical psychologist with expertise in mindfulness-based interventions notes, "Lief Rx's approach to HRVB training gives prescriptive power to something as core to wellness as breathing. Without non-pharmaceutical anxiety management tools like Lief Rx, patients are left relying on addictive prescription drugs that may be helpful momentarily, but can ultimately hinder progress."

In addition to helping patients harness the power of their breath to improve their HRV levels in real-time, Lief Rx's clinician dashboard enables healthcare providers to monitor patients' biomarker data and send clinically validated psychological assessments directly to patients through the Lief Rx mobile app. Lief Rx gives healthcare providers access to patients' biomarker data in conjunction with their self report, thus enabling more accurate assessments of patients' mental health than ever before.

Lief Therapeutics is currently offering a one month free promotion for healthcare providers interested in using Lief Rx with their patients. Providers may visit getlief.com/healthcare_provider to sign up. Patients can reach out for assistance in determining eligibility for Lief Rx by visiting getlief.com or emailing [email protected].

About Lief Therapeutics
Lief Therapeutics offers biofeedback wearables for mental health to consumers and patients, as well as a remote patient monitoring platform for healthcare providers. Lief Rx, Lief's prescription-only device for patients, is indicated for HRV-based relaxation training and muscle re-education, which, as part of a healthy lifestyle, may help reduce the risk of anxiety and depression. For more information, visit http://www.getlief.com.

SOURCE Lief Therapeutics