The Omron HEM-790IT automatic blood pressure monitor is one of my favorites. Its simple one-touch automatic operation with built-in IntelliSense technology helps ensure accurate and comfortable readings by automatically adjusting to the right cuff inflation level every time giving the most accurate readings possible.

In addition, this unit is intelligent enough to detect ‘morning hypertension’ and irregular heartbeat with its advanced diagnostics that will be valuable information for your physician. In case you are unaware, ‘morning hypertension’ is a well known indicator of increased risk of stroke.

The best part of the Omron HEM-790IT is it comes complete with Omron’s own PC based ‘Health Management Software’ totally free of charge. This is a sophisticated multi-user software that is extremely simple to use. Its features include a blood pressure and pulse trend graph, morning and evening comparison graphs that displays your both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, uses frequency distribution to analyze common values over specific time frames. Downloading data from the Omron HEM-790IT via USB cable is a one-click operation and completes in seconds.

On its own, its on-board memory function is huge, allowing for 90 memory recall with date and time stamps. Coupled with a large digital panel display and simple one-touch operation, the Omron HEM-790IT is my obvious choice for a full-packaged premium product at a supremely low price.

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In the United States alone, there are approximately 50 million people who suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure. About a third of this group experience uncontrolled hypertension. A further third are either unaware or have not been diagnosed because there are often no symptoms and life goes on as if normal.

The dangerous thing is by the time these symptoms appear, serious internal damage would have occurred manifesting itself either in the form of a heart attack, a stroke or kidney failure, often with life threatening consequences.

The sad part is that it can affect anybody, not just the elderly - The young and seemingly fit can also fall victim to this sickness at any time. Evidence suggests this is caused in part by today's fast paced, high stress, poor diet and often sedentary lifestyles that plague our modern society. We can ill-afford to take this risk lightly.

So what can we do? Annual medical checks are a definite must for everybody for the purpose of diagnosis. However, this may not be frequent enough for early detection or control. The panel of the American Society of Hypertension had recommended taking daily or twice daily blood pressure readings in the mornings & evenings.

Home monitoring is the easy next step you can take to reduce high blood pressure risk or improve your condition. Digital blood pressure monitors are nowadays most popular as they are simple to use, affordable, fast, accurate & portable. They can be nearly as small as the size of a cell phone connected by a cuff to the upper arm, forearm, wrist and even on a finger.

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How accurate are they? Digital blood pressure monitors have come a long way since its first invention. Many have been tested according to the strict protocols of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instruments (AAMI), British Hypertension Society (BHS) and European Society of Hypertension (ESH), fully meeting the criteria of these protocols. Moreover, the known effects of ‘White Coat Hypertension’ - which commonly relates to higher blood pressure readings when measured in an unfamiliar clinical environment may be avoided to yield better measurement results. Digital blood pressure monitors are also easily read as the numbers are directly displayed on the screen without any guesswork.

Is there a best brand? Digital blood pressure monitors are highly competitive. New and improved models are constantly being introduced to the market. Everyone will claim their model sports the best features, highest accuracies, etc. Indeed, they can only get better. However, we will say the current major brand players in the global market are Omron, Panasonic, Samsung, LifeSource, etc. Omron presently is the global market leader for home blood pressure monitors with a market share of around 65%. Seven of its models made the top ten list as reported in 2007. Which brand or model best fits you depends largely on the following:

• Where do you plan to take your blood pressure? This establishes how portable the unit needs to be.
• Is it for personal use or for the family/friends? The determines the ruggedness required of the unit.
• Your preference for taking measurements i.e. upper arm, forearm, wrist or on a finger?
• Memory storage required to keep track of your readings?
• Would you like to download data to your computer to track progress?
• Finally, your required price range vis-a-vis features.

At the end of the day, keeping healthy through regular exercise, proper dieting and a balanced lifestyle with good stress management is the best prevention for high blood pressure. A home digital blood pressure monitor will go a long way in helping you track your fitness & well-being mitigating risks of developing high blood pressure for you & your loved ones.

The short answer is yes! High blood pressure or hypertension in children is currently acknowledged as a significant health issue, is largely underdiagnosed and is a growing worry to healthcare professionals. It is often the result of obesity, stress and sometimes family history. Diagnosing high blood pressure in children is complex because normal and abnormal blood pressure measures vary with age, height and gender. Systemic high blood pressure is less common in children than in adults. Such incidences range between 1% and 5%.

Present-day guidelines for children are dependent on established percentile ranges for a child’s body size. Pre-hypertension in children is diagnosed when the average systolic or diastolic blood pressure levels are above the 90th percentile but lesser than the 95th percentile. For adolescents, blood pressure readings greater than 120/80 are considered prehypertensive, similar to adults. Increasing rates of childhood and adolescent hypertension is shown to correspond with increasing rates of childhood obesity. Moreover, studies have shown that overweight children have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes either during adolescence and later on in life. The point to note here is that although more children are having high blood pressure, it remains mostly underdiagnosed.

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Accurate blood pressure measurement in children calls for the use of a cuff that is right for the size of the child’s arm. Essentially, it should be able to cover at least two thirds of the upper arm and the bladder should surround 80% to 100% of the circumference of the arm. Digital blood pressure monitors are very convenient and if correctly used and maintained, will be invaluable for fast screening of older children at home or whenever they visit the physician. However, they should not be solely relied upon to detect hypotension. If there are any abnormally high readings obtained, it should be checked again using a sphygmomanometer or stethoscope.

There is mounting evidence pointing towards systolic blood pressure as the best indicator of high blood pressure in children. For best advise, consult your physician on the appropriate readings for your child based on age, height and gender.

Diagnosing high blood pressure in children is much harder than the simple blood pressure check adopted for adults, because abnormal blood pressures in children vary with their age, height and gender. Thus, regular blood pressure monitoring and early diagnosis of high blood pressure in children is a necessary strategy for the prevention of future chronic diseases in adulthood.


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About a quarter of American adults have high blood pressure or hypertension as it is commonly known. High blood pressure is especially dangerous as there is often little or no symptoms. It is a major risk factor contributing to heart and kidney diseases that could ultimately lead to stroke and heart failure. Fortunately, you are able to determine if you have or are at risk of having high blood pressure by having your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. A digital blood pressure monitor at home will come in extremely handy given that your family members can also benefit from it. If you have high blood pressure, you can take positive steps to lower it. Equally important, if your blood pressure is presently in the normal range, you can monitor to keep it from becoming high.

Preventing high blood pressure isn't an option, but preventing the causes of high blood pressure is. Preventing high blood pressure involves understanding the causes and making smart decisions about factors under your control. Lifestyle changes is ultimately the most effective and sustainable measure for preventing high blood pressure. However, it is usually more difficult than popping a pill. Your first step therefore is to address your personal motivation before you can have the determination to see it through.

Let's look at some of the reasons we might want to do this lest we forget and they are not in any order of preference. I want to be healthier, I want to feel better, I want to avoid high medical bills, I want to live longer, I haven't accomplished my life goals, I want to be there for my loved ones and the list goes on.

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That said, the following are useful steps you can take to reduce the risk of high blood pressure:

Step 1 : Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight increases your likelihood of developing high blood pressure by two to six fold. Therefore any small weight loss will be significant in helping you prevent or treat high blood pressure.

Step 2 : Exercise Regularly

Exercise has always been good for cardiovascular health and has been proven to help reduce the risk of high blood pressure by 20% to 50% as well as prevent heart diseases. Exercise keeps your arteries elastic thereby ensuring you have a smoother blood flow and normal pressure. If you have not exercised in a long time, a gradual & sensible exercise program is probably a good way to start. You can begin by doing at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming three times a week. You can also incorporate exercise into your daily activities such as taking the stairs instead of the office lift.

Step 3 : Keep a Healthy Diet

Diet plays an important role along with exercise in keeping high blood pressure at bay. Diet requires the least amount for effort and involves reducing salt intake by cutting back on bacon, sausage, chips and soups which are high in salt content., consuming alcohol in moderation limiting it to no more than 2 drinks a day, consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables with a good balance of vitamins and minerals intake that are high in calcium, potassium. Fish oils and garlic are also known to help.


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Step 4 : Change Your Habit

Reduce or better yet, quit smoking. Quitting smoking has the benefit of rapidly reducing blood pressure and may even reverse blood vessel damage that could lead to future health complications.

Step 5 : Learn to Manage Stress

Stress causes blood pressure to rise and could in the longer term contribute to high blood pressure. Knowing when to take time out & letting go is important. At work and in life, don't sweat the small stuff and focus on the big picture helps.

Step 6 : Visit Your Doctor Regularly

As they say, prevention is better than cure. Regular visits to your physician allows for early diagnosis & treatment even if you are generally healthy. Think of it as a regular physical tune-up and you will avoid the expensive medical treatment that comes with late diagnosis.

Remember, nothing changes until you do. Keep to the big picture and the steps you take starting today will ensure you enjoy a healthier and fulfilling life.



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