Take heart: This gadget could save your life

While we probably can’t do anything about the high fuel prices and the high cost of living (except perhaps to swear to the high heavens), there’s one thing we can control: high blood pressure.

Did I see you raise your skeptical eyebrows sky-high? The lowdown on high blood pressure is, yes, you can monitor and chart it daily in the comforts of your home via the Omron blood pressure monitors.

But you ask, “Why is it a matter of life and death that we manage and prevent high blood pressure?”

High blood pressure is a primary risk factor for triggering heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It is often called the silent killer because it does not usually cause symptoms, thus people brush it aside until it’s too late. Which brings us to another question: Is high blood pressure a disease?

Per se, having high blood pressure doesn’t mean you are sick. But it can make you sick because high blood pressure puts a strain on the blood vessels, eventually causing their inner walls to weaken and become more prone to damage. And then, if lipids, such as cholesterol and neutral fats, become attached to these damaged inner walls, thus producing thrombus, blood flow gradually becomes hampered. In medical lingo, this is called arteriosclerosis. This results in a higher risk of heart disease such as angina pectoris and myocardial infarct as well as cerebral hemorrhage, brain infarction, and even something more serious as renal (kidney) failure.

According to the Philippine Society for Hypertension (PSH), there are about seven to 10 million Filipinos with hypertension and two million suffering from diabetes. And there are about five million Filipinos with coronary artery disease.

But don’t lose heart. Research shows that we can lower our heart disease risk significantly — that is, by as much as 82 percent — by simply adopting sensible health habits. Even the older elderly population, aged 70 to 90, can reduce their chances of dying of heart disease by nearly two-thirds by leading a heart-healthy lifestyle.

For heart’s sake, we should take charge of our health. And the first step to a healthy heart is knowing our own risks for health diseases. But then again, while doing our darndest to lead a healthy lifestyle, we may need a little help, like regularly visiting our doctor and constantly monitoring blood-related data, so we can keep up-to-date records even at home and have accurate records to show our doctor when we go for a checkup.

In its hearty bid to promote heart health, Collins International Trading Corporation (CITC), exclusive distributor of Omron sensing devices, recently tied up with the Philippine Society for Hypertension.

Of course, the digital blood pressure monitors on the market today are a dime a dozen, but they don’t really guarantee accurate readings. Aware of the need of the growing legion of health-conscious individuals to get correct BP measurements, CITC sought the help of PSH in accrediting two models of Omron BPM: Omron Blood Pressure Monitor Arm type — SEM 1 and Omron Intellisense Blood Pressure Monitor Arm type — IA2. At least 15 units of each model were tested.

The board members of PSH, 10 doctors, and two observers (resident doctors or personal nurses) conducted a series of tests on Omron’s blood pressure monitors.

“At least 120 subjects/patients, 18 years old and up, were recruited from general medical and specialist clinics,” relates Omron marketing manager Julie Lee. “These patients were tested with our Omron BPM consecutively with a mercury sphygmomanometer in nine sequential readings at one-minute intervals.”

At simple rites held recently, the PSH formally accredited the two Omron blood pressure monitors. Lee asserts, “We want to elevate the understanding of every Filipino household that health monitoring should start in our own homes and we are fortunate that Japan’s leading brand of sensing technology has been in the country for many years now and it has been giving us accurate reading and measurement.”

To go to the heart of the matter, the Omron Intellisense blood pressure monitor (BPM) is designed for comfort and ease of use. It makes each measurement personalized, regardless of arm size, blood pressure fluctuations or time of measurement. It is also very useful even for people with arrhythmia or heart disease. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

The Omron BPM has features that assure that its reading is accurate, such as the body movement indicator and irregular heartbeat detector. The body movement indicator helps the user detect any error in measurement due to body movement, thus ensuring more accurate blood pressure readings. On the other hand, the irregular heartbeat detector helps eliminate the frustrating “error” messages that are normally shown on other oscillometric BPMs when an irregular heartbeat occurs (the patient should consult a doctor if he sees the indicator frequently.

Don’t you think it’s high time you got yourself this sensible high blood pressure sensing device?

Omron is exclusively distributed by Collins International Trading Corporation. For inquiries, call 681-6163 or 681-6161; visit collins-international.com.ph.