Blood Pressure Monitoring Made Easy For Women

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 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."