OMRON collaborates with AliveCor to offer AI-based handheld ECG technology in India

New Delhi: OMRON Healthcare India has announced its collaboration with AliveCor India, the Indian subsidiary of the global leader in FDA-cleared, CE marked and CDSCO approved personal electrocardiogram (ECG) technology.

With this partnership, OMRON Healthcare India now offers AI-based handheld ECG technology besides being a top blood pressure monitor player in India.

As per the company, this collaboration, marking a significant milestone in its “Going for Zero” vision to enhance cardiovascular health awareness and prevent incidents, brings forth devices including the first home BPM+ECG Monitoring FDA cleared Device (blood pressure monitor with AliveCor ECG capability in a single device) for early CVD (CardioVascular Disease) detection and management and AliveCor’s FDA-cleared world’s most clinically-validated and pocket-sized personal ECGs.

These devices instantly detect various arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (Afib), bradycardia, tachycardia, and more.

OMRON Healthcare has been at the forefront of hypertension management for almost half a century, pioneering innovative solutions to tackle this silent threat. However, as time has advanced, OMRON has come to realize the necessity of expanding its scope beyond hypertension. With a deeper dive into cardiovascular health, the company has unearthed the crucial role of Afib as a significant contributor to stroke and cardiovascular disease risk. Furthermore, hypertension is one of the leading risk factors for the development of AFib.

Afib disrupts the normal heartbeat and causes small & irregular vibrations in the heart, leading to the collection of blood inside. This can create a clot in the heart, which can travel to the brain, and cause a stroke.

“Stroke risk is 3.4 times higher with hypertension, but it is 5 times higher with Afib, and so if people frequently have Afib, they may face a stroke shortly. This signifies that monitoring both ECG and blood pressure at home and keeping the doctor informed is crucial for the early management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health conditions like stroke,” says Tetsuya Yamada, Managing Director, OMRON Healthcare India.

Elaborating on the collaboration with AliveCor, Tetsuya Yamada further added, “Guided by our vision – “Going for Zero,” to eliminate cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease episodes, we are collaborating with like-minded organizations such as AliveCor to provide new technologies that enhance accuracy, quality, and accessibility of home as well as remote patient monitoring, empowering individuals to manage their conditions effectively. The collaboration will also help to answer one of the underlying social issues which are the limited number of cardiologists in the country. With these innovative devices, we can cut down on the waiting period for ECG measurement and also enhance accessibility which will help the patients keep their doctors and caregivers informed in a convenient and real-time manner to make them make more informed and better decision-making for cardiovascular health management.”

Anuj Seth, Managing Director, AliveCor India said on the occasion, “At AliveCor, delivering cutting-edge technology that revolutionizes cardiac care through mobile technology is ingrained in our ethos. We are dedicated to expanding access to remote patient care to reach as many individuals as possible. Partnering with OMRON Healthcare India allows us to extend the reach of our products to more patients, thereby saving more lives.”

As per various reports, India has more than 220 million people who suffer from high blood pressure, but a WHO study showed that only 15% of them receive treatment and 5% of them use a digital BP monitor. This implies that most of them are unaware of their condition, or they don’t get the proper treatment. If this is the case for hypertension monitoring, one can estimate that the gap for ECG monitoring will be enormous.