OMRON Healthcare Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the Company) based in Muko City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, is proud to announce the celebration of its 50th anniversary in blood pressure monitor production this year. Since the introduction of its first manual and manometer-type blood pressure monitor in 1973, the Company has continuously improved and produced accurate and user-friendly blood pressure monitors. To date, the Company has sold over 350 million units in more than 110 countries worldwide.

Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202305165636-O5-THg59uEz

The Company has always believed in the importance of home blood pressure monitoring, even when blood pressure readings could only be obtained at medical facilities. In 1991, the Company launched the world's first automated blood pressure monitor with fuzzy logic technology (*) for greater accuracy and ease of use than manual monitors. In parallel with the advancement of blood pressure monitors, the Company worked continuously to improve and developed the pre-formed cuff that the user can wrap around his/her arm securely and easily. Moreover, the Company has been focusing on enhancing usability and measurement accuracy by expanding the range of support functions to ensure that the user maintains the correct measurement posture.

(*) Automatic pressure-setting function

Image1: The first blood pressure monitor: HEP-1

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Image2: The world's first fuzzy logic automatic blood pressure monitor: HEM-706

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In addition, the Company has worked to raise awareness of the importance of home blood pressure monitoring among medical professionals by developing and distributing the accurate and clinically validated devices. The Company supported the Ohasama Study, which was started in 1986 in Ohasama, Iwate Prefecture, by providing around 300 units of OMRON blood pressure monitors for use in the research. Ohasama was notable for high and increasing incidence rates of cardiovascular diseases due to the area’s cold climate. To counter this problem, public health nurses worked to improve the community’s health by having its residents measure their blood pressure at home and advising them based on their self-measured day-to-day blood pressure data. This study continued for more than 35 years and its findings, which confirmed the benefits of home blood pressure monitoring, have been incorporated into hypertension management guidelines issued in various countries.

The Company has continued to pursue the challenge of adopting digital technology for blood pressure management. In 2010, the Company launched a health management service, WellnessLINK, on the Japanese market. The smartphone app for health management, OMRON connect, is now available in more than 140 countries. Moreover, in 2020, the Company launched a remote patient monitoring service in the U.S. This service enables users to share their blood pressure readings at home with physicians, promoting cardiovascular disease management before it worsens. The Company has expanded its business scope by manufacturing and distributing a range of products and services that support hypertension treatments.

The Company is also committed to developing innovative devices. These developments include the world’s first clinically accurate wearable blood pressure monitor, HeartGuide, and an upper-arm blood pressure monitor with built-in electrocardiogram (ECG) technology to facilitate the early detection of atrial fibrillation, a known risk factor for cardiogenic brain embolism.

Image3: Wearable blood pressure monitor: HCR-6900T-M

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Image4: Upper-arm blood pressure monitor with ECG: HCR-7800T

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"This year, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launch of OMRON blood pressure monitors," said Ayumu Okada, President and CEO of OMRON Healthcare Co., Ltd. "On this occasion, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all our valued customers for their continuing support of our blood pressure monitors. Cerebro-cardiovascular diseases are known to be the leading cause of death globally, and as populations in many countries continue to age, the number of patients suffering from these diseases is expected to increase even more. We remain committed to fulfilling the vision of 'Going for ZERO' (achieving zero cerebro-cardiovascular events). Going forward, we will continue contributing to extending healthy life expectancy for people around the world by introducing devices and services tailored to solving health-related issues."

History of blood pressure monitor development

For the detailed information of the Company’s achievements and the future vision for realizing the vision of zero cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events, please visit here:

https://healthcare.omron.com/healthcare-solutions/cardiovascular-health/300-million/our-journey/history-of-home-bpm