Omron Makes Blood Pressure Monitoring Easy for Women at Any Stage of Life, Including Pregnancy

    BANNOCKBURN, Ill., May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Heart disease is the number
 one cause of death for women over the age of 25, more than all cancers
 combined, according to the American Heart Association. Today, Omron
 Healthcare, Inc. introduces the Elite 7300W home blood pressure monitor
 designed specifically for women to help detect hypertension, a significant
 contributor to heart disease, as well as preeclampsia, a major concern
 during pregnancy.
 
     With more than 460,000 women dying per year (approximately one death
 per minute) due to cardiovascular disease, regular blood pressure
 monitoring is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The ultra-thin and
 portable Omron(R) Elite 7300W has been clinically proven accurate during
 all stages of a woman's life and makes monitoring blood pressure convenient
 with its one- touch operation, large digital screen and stylish zipper case
 for women on- the-go or at home. Furthermore, it boasts a medication
 reminder alarm and hypertension indicator which flashes an alert when a
 blood pressure reading has exceeded 135/85 mmHg, the borderline level
 indicative of hypertension when monitoring at home.
 
     "As women grow older, their risk for developing hypertension increases
 and becomes greater than that of a man, which is why it is essential for
 women to pay close attention to their blood pressure and monitor it
 regularly at home," said Dr. Annabelle Volgman, associate professor of
 medicine and medical director of the Heart Center for Women at Rush
 University Medical Center in Chicago.
 
 

     The Elite 7300W features:
      --   Ultra thin design - attractive for those with an active lifestyle
      --   Two cuff sizes - includes a standard (9"-13") and large cuff
           (13"- 17") which helps ensure proper cuff placement for accurate
           readings at home
      --   Advanced averaging - automatically displays the average of up to the
           last three readings taken within ten minutes of each other
      --   Hypertension indicator -tells you when your measurements exceed the
           AHA guidelines for healthy blood pressure
      --   Memory - automatically stores 84 readings, plus a guest mode
 
     "Although there is no cure for hypertension, it can be controlled,"
 said Charles Dushman, director of retail marketing for Omron. "Omron
 created the Elite 7300W to enable women to be proactive and take control of
 their health at home, and provide timely and accurate blood pressure
 information to their doctor as necessary."
 
     The Omron Women's Advanced Blood Pressure Monitor Elite 7300W is
 currently available at major pharmacy stores and online for a suggested
 retail price of $99.99.
 
     About Omron Healthcare, Inc.
 
     Omron Healthcare, Inc., located in Bannockburn, IL, a northern suburb
 of Chicago, is the North and South American subsidiary of Omron Healthcare
 group. A leading manufacturer and distributor of blood pressure monitors
 for home use, Omron Healthcare group is a market leader in blood pressure
 monitoring with over 70 million of its monitors sold worldwide to date.
 Omron Healthcare is committed to offering clinically proven, innovative
 weight management and thermometry products and devices for use in treatment
 of respiratory conditions, all with the aim of helping people achieve
 greater compliance and quality of life. With the April 2006 acquisition of
 the Colin(R) brand of blood pressure monitoring products for hospitals,
 clinics, and physician offices, Omron Healthcare has a unique position as a
 company offering a wide array of medical devices for use in sites ranging
 from hospitals to the home. For more information, visit
 http://www.omronhealthcare.com and for Colin products, visit
 http://www.colinmedical.com.
 
 

      Contact:
 
      Lexie Alcon
      Edelman
      (312) 240-2625
      lexie.alcon@edelman.com
 
 

SOURCE Omron Healthcare, Inc.