For the third year in a row, OMRON is renewing its commitment to end heart attacks and strokes with Going for Zero ™ day. The theme of the day is simple: Everyone should check their blood pressure and know their status.
On December 10, 2018, OMRON Healthcare President and CEO Ranndy Kellogg and the leadership team will gather all of the company’s employees to review successes of the past year in advancing the OMRON mission. The organization will set plans for the next year. On this Going for Zero Day, many of those plans involve the release of HeartGuide™ the first wearable blood pressure monitor taking the form of a digital wristwatch available in the U.S.
HeartGuide uses cutting-edge technology that lets people with hypertension check their blood pressure anytime, anywhere. Blood pressure fluctuations are normal. For example, blood pressure generally goes down at night. When this doesn’t happen normally, the risk of cardiovascular mortality increases. 24-hour monitoring from a device like HeartGuide catches these fluctuations which might otherwise go unnoticed.
HeartGuide also protects against the risks of false readings due to “white coat syndrome,” when blood pressure can appear abnormally high during occasional doctor visits. This is just one of the reasons The American Heart Association (AHA), American Society of Hypertension, and Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association encourage people with high blood pressure or at risk of HBP to check their own numbers. Portable devices let people do this at home or on the go.
In the coming year, OMRON will also introduce a blood pressure monitor with the ability to detect atrial fibrillation in partnership with AliveCor.
With the prevalence of high blood pressure and its related risks, OMRON sees the need to reaffirm its mission more than ever. “Nearly half of all U.S. adults are now classified as hypertensive and millions of them are unaware of their condition,” said Ranndy Kellogg. “Aware or not, anyone who is hypertensive is on a health journey. Those who know their status and take action to manage it have much more control over their journey and their destination,” Kellogg said.
Read the official press release for more about Going for ZeroTM Day. To learn more about the OMRON mission to eliminate heart attacks and strokes, visit GoingForZero.com.