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

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., May. 08 /PRNewswire/ --

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 .

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