The Ohasama Study was launched in 1986 by a team from Tohoku University under the leadership of Professor Yutaka Imai, acting in response to the high burden of hypertension and stroke in the community of Ohasama, Iwate Prefecture. The study has since followed more than 11,000 local residents over an average of 15 years, demonstrating that home blood pressure measurement is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular outcomes than in-clinic readings alone. Inspired by a shared vision, OMRON Healthcare supported the study from its outset with the provision of some 300 home blood pressure monitors, establishing a close relationship that continues today. Built on a long-term partnership between local residents, healthcare professionals, and researchers, the study has influenced hypertension guidelines worldwide—including those of the World Health Organization and the European Society of Hypertension—laying the scientific foundation for today's internationally recognised 135/85 mmHg home blood pressure threshold, and helping to establish home blood pressure measurement as a routine part of hypertension diagnosis and management.

As cardiovascular disease remains the world's leading cause of death, OMRON Healthcare continues to honour the study's legacy through its Going for Zero vision, which aims to eliminate adverse cerebro- and cardiovascular events through preventive care. Now led by Professor Takayoshi Ohkubo as a multicentre collaborative study coordinated by Tokyo’s Teikyo University, the Ohasama Study continues to generate new insights. Recent findings have included an association between a higher urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio and elevated BNP levels, a biomarker of cardiac load, suggesting potential for earlier identification of cardiac stress.

"When the Ohasama Study began, blood pressure was generally considered something to be measured in medical facilities rather than at home," said Dr. Yutaka Imai, Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University and founding principal investigator of the Ohasama Study. "The study was made possible by the long-term cooperation of local residents, healthcare professionals, government officials, and researchers. By measuring and recording their blood pressure at home day after day, the people of Ohasama helped us build the scientific evidence demonstrating the clinical value of home blood pressure measurement and its importance in assessing cerebro- and cardiovascular risk. Forty years on, I am delighted that this work has contributed to the wider adoption of home blood pressure monitoring and improved hypertension management. I look forward to the Ohasama Study continuing to generate new insights for preventive healthcare and digital health."

Full press release: https://acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/110094/