OMRON Healthcare aims to facilitate easy detection of  atrial fibrillation (Afib), which would is a major risk factor for strokes

Afib is a form of heart arrhythmia caused by the fibrillation of the heart’s chambers. While Afib is widely recognized as a major risk factor for developing strokes,  nearly 40% of Afib patients have no subjective symptoms. Moreover, Afib can often occur suddenly, so health checkups or regular doctor visits may not often detect Afib or may not be sufficient.

As we strive toward Zero Events, i.e. reducing the incidence of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases caused by high blood pressure to zero, OMRON Healthcare focused on the fact that hypertension is a common comorbid disease that presents with Afib. Aiming to prevent strokes, we are taking on the challenge to enable the early detection of Afib through daily "blood pressure monitoring + ECG recording".

Afib cases are on the rise in Japan due to aging. The estimated number of patients with Afib was 1 million¹ in 2020 and is expected to increase even more as the aging of the population further accelerates.

Afib by itself is not a serious life-threatening symptom. But it becomes problematic because of the risk it poses of causing a sudden stroke. An Afib-caused stroke is called a "cardiogenic brain embolism", which is often life-threatening, and even those who survive a stroke may suffer from serious effects, such as paralysis or being bedridden.

Once a patient is diagnosed with Afib, essential treatment is given to address the risk and prevent a stroke from developing. However, detection is difficult, since Afib often does not exhibit subjective symptoms. Afib is also frequently paroxysmal, meaning it is easily  overlooked even with health checkups or regular doctor visits. A study finding shows that people with Afib are five times more likely to develop a stroke than those without Afib.²

OMRON Complete automatically analyzes measured waveform data via smartphone app and when abnormalities are detected, it displays a message encouraging patients to see a doctor without delay.

Detecting Afib, which often has no subjective symptoms,  to allow it to be diagnosed and treated appropriately is a difficult challenge indeed. To overcome it, OMRON Healthcare developed a home-use blood pressure monitor + ECG. By adding an ECG recording function to a blood pressure monitor, it enables users to monitor and record both on a daily basis. This can contribute to the early detection of Afib in hypertensive patients.

Afib is a common comorbidity presenting with hypertension. A study reports 50-60% of patients with Afib also have high blood pressure, and 10-20% of hypertensive patients have Afib.³ OMRON home  blood pressure + ECG aims to protect the health of hypertensive patients who have established a habit of measuring and managing their blood pressure every day, by making their invisible risk of Afib visible as well via ECG measurements.

OMRON "Complete" is a 2-in-1 unit combining an ECG monitor with two-hand finger-touch electrodes and a blood pressure monitor with an upper arm cuff. The most prominent feature is its capability of simultaneously tracking and recording blood pressure and ECG data. We aim to facilitate early detection of invisible risk for hypertensive patients with the high possibility of developing Afib. We will start using this device in a remote patient monitoring service to enable patients to send their self-measured ECG data to doctors for diagnosis.

To reduce heart attacks and strokes, daily monitoring of both blood pressure and ECG is key. This is why we are working to draw people's attention to this daily practice and make it easy to do so.

OMRON Healthcare has been committed to evolving ways to monitor and manage blood pressure at home for many years with the goal of achieving Zero Events. But Zero Events is not possible through blood pressure monitoring and management alone. In order to enable the early detection and treatment of Afib, which carries a risk of developing a stroke, we would like to make daily blood pressure + ECG monitoring a home health habit. With our long history of successfully promoting blood pressure monitoring and management at home, we’re confident we can accomplish this goal as well.

Home-use ECG monitors were conventionally used by individuals with a history of heart disease to manage their health conditions or prevent a recurrence. Now OMRON Healthcare will be working to raise awareness of the importance of frequent recordings of ECG data as a daily practice for a wider group of patients such as all hypertensive individuals, and for the need for early detection of Afib in order to prevent strokes.