OMRON, one of world’s largest manufacturers of blood pressure monitors, announced the expansion of the global campaign ‘Going for Zero’. It is focused to eliminate heart attack and stroke, but from now on it will include the atrial fibrillation (AFib). Omron expands education initiatives, and advances its digital health transformation to support healthcare systems.
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of heart arrhythmia. AFib is a serious heart rhythm disorder. It is often characterized by irregular and rapid heartbeats. If undiagnosed and unmanaged, AFib can increase stroke risk by five times the national average, says the American Stroke Association.
Millions of Americans live with AFib undiagnosed and unaware of health risks it bears. More and more experts consider AFib to be a heart health epidemic in the older age group.
Omron’s Going for Zero in AFib
OMRON recently released the documentary-style film, The Sound of AFib, and launched a global awareness campaign focused on the condition.
OMRON Healthcare President and CEO Ranndy Kellogg said: “OMRON Healthcare is recognized for our Going for Zero mission to eliminate heart attack and stroke. Our mission means we judge our success on improving outcomes. Accomplishing this bold mission requires us to continuously evaluate and focus on the highest cardiac event risk factors and how OMRON can intervene to help. While high blood pressure is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke, AFib is rising as a global epidemic”.
As the irregular pattern of AFib makes it difficult to detect. Hence, supply of the proper tools to monitor for the condition becomes critical. The knowledge of potential symptoms related to the condition could make a world of difference, according the OMRON CEO.
“AFib is under-detected, under-diagnosed, and under-treated,” said Kellogg. “The best way to detect AFib is to monitor when someone is experiencing that sense of rapid heartbeat or heart flutter. We are providing easy-to-use technology that anyone can have to monitor for the condition – anytime, anywhere – capture those readings with our OMRON connect app, and even share the data with a doctor for analysis.”
Omron Marketing Exec on Awareness
“Research shows ninety percent of heart attacks and strokes are preventable through regular blood pressure monitoring and behavior change. Teaching people how to change their behavior for better heart health is at the core of our Going for Zero mission,” said Jill Person, executive director of marketing at OMRON Healthcare.
“Awareness, education, and knowledge to help reduce heart attack and stroke risk are a higher focus in Going for Zero,” added Person. “We are rolling out more quick-read education features in our OMRON Connect app along with useful content across our social media feeds for anyone to access and learn about their heart health and simple steps to behavior change that can help reduce cardiac event risk.”
Person pointed to OMRON’s collaboration and partnerships with social media influencers, from heart attack and stroke survivors to high-profile doctors, to engage online communities in storytelling, awareness, and tips for better heart health.
Digital health tools like the OMRON Connect app, VitalSight, the company’s remote patient monitoring service, and ongoing research into the role artificial intelligence can play in detection and prevention of heart attack and stroke risk, are all part of OMRON’s digital transformation journey to engage consumers and doctors in new ways.
“The evolution of our Going for Zero mission prioritizes digital health to drive better health outcomes for patients and their care teams,” said Person.
Currently, OMRON Healthcare, Inc., is the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of personal heart health products. With 50 years of medical device category leadership, its market-leading products include a full range of home blood pressure monitors, nebulizers, and TENS devices. With more than 350 million devices sold globally, OMRON provides the world’s most recommended blood pressure monitors by healthcare professionals in over 110 countries.
American Heart Association’s AFib Awareness Month
Other key AFib awareness program is the American Heart Association’s AFib Awareness Month. The American Heart Association leads a national AFib Awareness Month campaign every September to educate healthcare professionals and the public about Atrial Fibrillation. The campaign provides an AFib Awareness Toolkit with resources like patient education materials, staff activities, and public awareness tools to help hospitals and communities generate awareness.
AFib treatment programs
To combat Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), several treatment programs are commonly used. These programs include:
Medication-Based Programs:
- Beta-Blockers: Drugs like metoprolol, labetalol, atenolol, and propranolol are commonly used to slow the heart rate in AFib
- Calcium Channel Blockers (CCBs): Medications such as diltiazem hydrochloride are effective in slowing the heart rate by blocking calcium influx into cells
Rhythm Control Strategies:
Antiarrhythmic Therapy: This approach involves using drugs tailored to the type of AFib and guided by evidence-based practices. Examples include flecainide, propafenone, dofetilide, amiodarone, and sotalol.
Nonpharmacologic Interventions:
- AV Node Ablation and Permanent Pacemaker: This strategy is recommended for patients with medically refractory AF to control heart rate effectively.
- LAA Closure: Left atrial appendage closure is an alternative option for preventing thromboembolic events in patients intolerant to Warfarin.
