Customer Reviews

Omron HEM-790IT Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor with Advanced Omron Health Management Software

5 star:		(389)
4 star:		(124)
3 star:		(37)
2 star:		(27)
1 star:		(46)

 

 

Outstanding quality, consistency and accuracy! At the end of the day that is all you can ask from a blood pressure cuff (sphygmomanometer). A few things to bear in mind: In consecutive readings done at the same time, you will see a trend from higher to lower blood pressure as you "learn" to lower your own pressure. Also, your blood pressure at home will be lower than that you obtain at your doctor's office until you learn to overcome the anxiety normally associated with the doctor's office. This is normal and is one of the main reasons to obtain a home blood pressure monitor. Also, your pressure will fluctuate from day to day and even during a blood pressure monitoring session.

Let me give you an example: My heart rate is anywhere from 52 to 58. As the blood pressure cuff deflates your systolic pressure is the first pulse that the unit detects. The cuff pressure deflates 5-10 mm between each heart beat. So, depending on the timing of your pulse, your pressure reading will fluctuate approximately 5-10 mm systolic and diastolic. When your pressure is taken manually the operator can regulate the rate of deflation of the cuff so as to reduce the measurement error. So don't automatically assume that the gauge is not giving accurate readings! Trust me, it is.

This monitor has been extensively tested against measurements obtained at the doctor's office and has been determined to be as accurate a method of determining blood pressure as you would obtain at the doctor's office - actually, more accurate since the anxiety factor is eliminated.

For some reason, when I purchased this item, it was cheaper than the Omron HEM-780, so purchasing it was a no brainer! I saved $5. Is it worth a little more than the HEM-780? It does have a few more bells and whistles including the software. But it is essentially the same unit. If you think you'd use the software which is kind of slick then by all means get this unit rather than the 780. Personally, I would definitely pay MORE, now that I have it and have used it, for this unit. The software if very helpful in keeping your BP records. Otherwise, the units are nearly identical in producing consistent accurate results.

So if you are looking for the best home blood monitor device on the market look no further. Just realize that there are minor variances in the readings attributable to fluctuations in your blood pressure and slight measurement error. I would also recommend the unit with the software - this can come in very handy in tracking your BP and its fluctuations. It also can provide you with a printed record of your readings for your doctor.

I heartily endorse this product.

OK, I got this cuff because I have a VERY picky physician. I haven't been tracking my BP too well and was read the "riot act" in order to have me go and get a cuff. Well, he said that, no matter which cuff I got, HE would have to check it for accuracy, and that he rejects over half of all the cuffs he sees. BTW, don't even think about getting a finger or wrist cuff. He rejects most all of them for inaccuracies of some sort. He also wanted me to email him my readings every month and he would call me in if he saw a problem trend. So I got this unit because it allows me to just download the readings and I could paste them into an email and everyone would be happy. And I got it from Amazon because they have an iron-clad return policy, just in case I needed to exercise it. Well, the day came that I sent in my first batch of readings and went in to have the unit (and me) checked. My doctor gave my cuff perfect marks. Its reading was within a couple points (dia/sys/pulse) of his personal reading taken a minute apart. He was also impressed with its trending features and alerts. He even wrote down the brand/model to pass on to other patients as the "doctor recommended" model of BP cuff.
After all that, you may want to know how well the unit operates. Well, I don't use the power adapter at all. Don't even know why they include one. It's been running strong on batteries since the day I got it (3 readings a day for 6 weeks now). When these batteries finally die, I'm glong to put in Li-Ions and see just how long they last. The cuff goes on easily and auto-inflates/deflates quickly without sacrificing accuracy. Once a week, I plug the base unit into a USB port on my computer and DL the data into the included "management" program. Overall, a pretty good program that slices/dices the data and displays it based on various criteria. I'm just scratching my head why it supports up to 1000 users, but OK. Except for the initial programming of the time/date/etc., I did ALL this without cracking the manual. I'm happy, my doctor's happy, nuff said.

I like it - it works. The software keeps track - but the software needs work.
I wrote to the company - there are several issues:
1. There's no way to edit the data. With two users it's easy to not have the right one selected when you take a reading. After uploading, the only way to edit the data is to export to Excel, edit, erase the database and then import the corrected data.
2. It's stored in an Access database, but it's password protected - why?
3. The user cannot direct where the database is kept, it's in the Programs folder on the OS drive.

The device works great, but the software...

While the Omron HEM-707IT seems to be accurate, it can be difficult to live with.

PROS: Accuracy, ease of use when it decides to work, can maintain a history for two users and provide a single guest reading, has an AC adapter, will alert to excessive movement or irregular heart beat, included software and export to an Excel spread sheet for better analysis.

Cons: the preformed cuff! The internal software does not work well with the included cuff causing frequent errors.

In general, this unit works as you would expect a blood pressure monitor to work. Additionally, it can perform three consecutive measurements and average them for a somewhat better reading. When compared with the readings in the doctor's office, the Omron is different by about 4 units which is probably good enough in that blood pressure readings done with stethoscope are somewhat dependent on the user. It is a bit on the large size but a carrying case is included.

My complaint is that the HEM-790IT fails too often to inflate the cuff. It seems to wait for only about four or five seconds to achieve a minimum inflation level before aborting the reading, waiting and then trying it again. If it would try for an additional two seconds or so, I believe that it would be successful. In order to overcome this failure, I squeeze the cuff until it reaches about 30mm and then slowly release my grip on it. It will then continue to perform its measurement. Unfortunately, email to Omron produced no response to my inquiry on this issue.

The included software for your computer is minimal but works well enough to show a history. The data can be exported to Excel where you have more control of how the data is presented and where you have the ability to add notations.

This probably is not the best blood pressure monitor for the money but unfortunately I am not familiar with the rest; but that is why you are doing research right now isn't it?

Oh yes, Amazon treated me well as usual. This is one of the first places I go to when starting my research on product purchase.

Accuracy. My wife is a health care professional, and I am a software engineer. We own a HEM-790IT which we both use, and my wife has an Omron HJ-720IT pedometer, which she uses. Today we both took our BP using the Omron, then took it manually. The systolic was 4 low on the Omron, and the diastolic was 10 low on the Omron. We used the TruRead Mode, which takes three consecutive readings. We have found that this is more accurate than Single Mode. I would like to have it more accurate, but I find that all BP machines have some error, compared to manual reading, and this error is not too bad. At least it is consistent in reading low by the same amount.

Software. I generally agree with the criticisms of other reviewers, about the software, but they are minor in nature, and I found the software to be reasonably adequate, and most people will enjoy using it. I installed the software on a Vista computer with no problems - use the install instructions for Windows XP. I agree with PajamaGuy - the data is kept in an Access database, which is password protected, and I am not given the password or any option to not have it password protected. I would like to be able to fix errors, such as when my wife or I take our BP with the wrong user selected. Most users will not want to use the Access database, so this will not matter to them.

The cuff is very easy to put on your arm, without any help.

I selected this unit primarily based on its ability to identify an abnormal heartbeat and alert the user to its presence. This unit provides that capability.

This unit can store and upload the data it records to a PC, which with the included software is capable of generating a csv formatted file as well as the ability to output tabulator data in a pdf file. I have found this a useful feature in allowing me to aggregate several days' worth of data and fax/email it to my doctors.

In addition to having a brick type power supply the unit has an internal battery which makes it much more portable than other units. While the included manual was helpful I didn't really need to refer to it much in order to understand how the unit operates.

I'm an engineer and tend to be particular about not settling for second best. I did a lot of research before purchasing this unit and have to say that I'm very pleased with how it has performed. I would have no problem with recommending this unit to anyone who has an ongoing need to monitor and track their blood pressure.

Great product. Functions exactly as described. Be aware that as of September 2007, the Omron Health Management software is not qualified for Windows Vista and documentation indicates it will only run on Windows 2000 and XP. Omron told me they do not have a plan for qualifying it on Vista at this time. However, I tried installing it on Vista, skipping the installation of .Net Framework Version 1.0 (because Vista's .Net version at this time is 3.0). The installation proceeded without event and the software worked fine. Omron has a software update/documentation web presence where I assume a Vista-qualified version of software will be available when released.

Updated 12-11-2010:

I checked the Omron web site and see that the software now supports Windows 7, Vista, XP, and 2000. The software can be downloaded at:

[...]

The hardware works great, but the management software needs improvement.

1. The window can not maximize to fit the screen.
2. The printing of graphs includes menus and other non-essential items. It should maximize the graph.
3. The printing of the data list does not allow to print the entire data, unless the data is exported to EXCEL.
4. The software can not display arbitrary intervals,i.e., the end of a month to the next month, a two week interval, etc.
5. The software should be able to graph the statistical trend lines.
6. The software should be able to graph the week-to-week comparizon.

There are many more suggestions, but I can do what I want to do with data in EXCEL. Therefore, it is not a problem for me.

I bought this monitor as a replacement for a similar device (Mabis SmartRead) I had purchased for about $20 less without doing much research, but from a usually reliable source (not Amazon). Everything I expected, but did not get, from the Mabis product, the Omron delivers. It is extremely easy to use. The Comfit Cuff is a very important feature because you can literally raise your blood pressure trying to get the right fit from the Mabis cuff and ones like it, whereas the Omron cuff is a breeze - a similar experience and almost as easy to use as the cuffs on commercial machines for self-testing found in pharmacies. The Omron is a sturdy, accurate device in which I have confidence, and with the Health Management Software included, I no longer have to do a side log of readings and charting is automatic. This device is definitely a good value for your money and Amazon's price was the best.

I just got the product, and set it up according to the very clear instructions. IMO, the manual is too much paper for such a simple-to-use device. After getting rid of all the "don't take a hair-dryer into the bathtub" idiot warnings, the instructions boil down to about three pages.

The product is simple to use, and it presents its results in a nice big font. Even a bear-of-very-little-brain such as myself should have no problems. It's packaged well, the unit is clean and attractive, and everything fits together nicely in the enclosed carrying case.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work.

By coincidence, I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon. This morning, I got the product set up and used it several times over the course of about an hour. It consistently showed my BP in the range of 150/110, plus or minus maybe 7 points.

"Oh crap! Time to increase my BP medication."

So I went to the doctor's office, and got tested by the nurse there. 120/70. "Good number!" she said. I was so upset over the Omron result that I asked her to check it again to be sure. Still good.

Maybe, I thought, it was the dreaded "morning hypertension," a key factor in strokes (!!). In fact, I had never heard of morning hypertension until I started looking at home BP products. But forewarned is forearmed, right?

Well, I came home from the doctor's and ran the machine a few more times. 150/110.

I like this product, and I desperately want it to work for me. But I don't think that "just subtract 40 points" is a good plan to keep using it. I'm going to get in touch with tech support and see what they tell me.

For what it's worth, I'm a big guy. I'm over 6'4", and my bicep is at the upper end of the sleeve measurement - maybe that's part of the problem. I hope not, because I didn't see anything about a super-large sleeve being available.

All the other reviews on the product are positive, and that's a good sign - maybe I just got a bad one. But if you do buy this product, I strongly recommend you confirm the readings, especially if they are high, before you panic. I paniced first, but fortunately my doctor's appointment was able to calm me down a few hours later.