Omron transitions from hypertension management to AFib detection

Omron Healthcare expands into AFib detection to address stroke risk, collaborating with AlivCor and Tricog for home ECG monitoring.

Japanese company Omron Healthcare, which specialises in solutions for hypertension management is now foraying into Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) detection, which is a major risk factor for strokes.

“Hypertension is a future risk factor for stroke, but it’s not acute, it is a chronic disease. Clinical studies suggest more than 220 million people in India suffer from hypertension,” said Tetsuya Yamada, MD, Omron Healthcare India, speaking to The Hindu. He added that hypertension elevates AFib risk by threefold, which in turn significantly raises the risk of stroke by five-fold.

Mr. Yamada said this revelation propelled the company’s transition from hypertension management to AFib detection, recognising the urgent need to address AFib’s impact on stroke risk.

To address this, Omron is foraying into home ECG monitoring in collaboration with AlivCor, a U.S. based company, which develops medical devices.

These devices can detect AFib, normal heart rhythm, tachycardia, and bradycardia - they both mean either faster or slower than the regular heart rate respectively.

Besides this the company is collaborating with Tricog, a Bengaluru-based entity in remote cardiac diagnosis providing AI based ECG interpretation services, to expand access to ECG readings at home, which could help doctors and make informed and quicker decisions.

Despite technological advancements, many Indian are unaware of AFib, and the shortage of cardiologists impedes timely diagnosis and treatment, the company said.