Omron, the Kyoto, Japan-based global electronics and med-tech company, has unveiled a new automatic wrist blood pressure monitor specifically designed and validated for obese patients. This is an important development, as accurately measuring blood pressure in obese people can be challenging and may produce inaccurate readings. The new blood pressure monitor OMRON RS7 Intelli IT, which Omron revealed at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, will go on sale in Europe for €99 later this year.
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According to the protocol set by the European Society of Hypertension, study results from the at-home OMRON RS7 Intelli IT showed precise measurements equivalent to those obtained in the doctor’s office.
About Hypertension
Hypertension and obesity are major health issues in the United States. Having high blood pressure puts you at risk for stroke and heart disease, which are leading causes of death in the United States. The Framingham Heart Study, estimated that excess body weight (including overweight and obesity), accounted for approximately 26% of cases of hypertension in men and 28% in women. It also accounted for approximately 23% of cases of coronary heart disease in men and 15% in women.
According to American Heart Association (AHA), more than 100 million Americans have high blood pressure.
High blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause of death for more than 410,000 Americans in 2014 – that’s more than 1,100 deaths each day.
Obese people have an increase in fatty tissue that increases their vascular resistance and in turn increases the work the heart has to do to pump blood throughout the body.
About OMRON RS7 Intelli IT
A special LED position sensor in the device helps to make sure the cuff is placed correctly over the wrist, guaranteeing accuracy of blood pressure measurements. Aside from blood pressure readings, the device can also indicate irregular heartbeats (Arrhythmia), body movement detection, and average function. A smartphone app can be used to connect OMRON RS7 Intelli IT to share readings or store them.
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OMRON will launch later this year the new OMRON RS7 Intelli IT, OMRON’s First Automatic Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor Clinically Validated for Use in Obese Population. In addition to the RS7 Intelli IT, OMRON will launch a whole new range of wrist devices, clinically validated for use in the general population, featured with different functions, to address various types of needs and lifestyle. The whole range is easy to use on the wrist, tubeless, small and portable, ideal for travelling, sleek and compact.