World's First Intelligent Personal ECG Heart Monitor is Launched.

LONDON -- Thousands of people potentially at risk from heart disease look set to benefit from the launch of the world's first intelligent personal ECG (Electrocardiogram) heart monitor to go on sale to the general public in the UK.

And the launch comes less than 24 hours after a national report shows that Britain is one of the fattest nations in Europe with obesity levels at record highs.

Cardiovascular disease, and specifically heart attacks and strokes kill more than 230,000 people every year, yet detecting the tell tale signs and symptoms is often a matter of chance relating to family history unless you visit a GP and hospital for a regular check up.

Medick Healthcare has harnessed the power of neural network software which is utilised in everything from handwriting recognition software to predicting future stock market trends to power the MHM 100 personal heart monitor which is being backed by a number of the country's leading physicians including Professor Brian Glenville and the company's medical advisory board includes a number of the world's top cardiologists.

The MHM100 personal ECG monitor offers the public at home ECG monitoring with access to a cardiology centre via a web based subscription service to analyse the reports generated by the monitor. The MHM 100 is available from www.medick.com for a purchase price of [pounds sterling]295 and the monthly subscription reporting service is priced at just [pounds sterling]12 per month for six expert analyses per year. As well as monitoring the rhythm of the heart in real time, the monitor allows users to directly see the impact of everything from smoking and caffeine through to exercise on the heart's performance.

The MHM 100 monitor uses three electrodes to capture the heart's rhythms for up to 8 hours at a time and requires no specialist medical knowledge to use it. The product has been developed to allow people who either already have a heart condition or are worried about developing a potential heart condition to monitor the rhythms of their heart as they go about their daily routine. Until now, such monitoring would usually require a visit to a GP or hospital. The monitor is also ideal for those concerned about a partner or family member who may be at risk from cardiovascular disease.

The subscription based reporting service features an easy to understand traffic light system and allows users to download the results of their tests. The reports are analysed by physicians who specialise in the reading of ambulatory ECGs. Furthermore if any specific issues are identified, the report is then passed to a cardiologist for further analysis.

In addition, MHM 100 users can view their heartbeat on the monitor's built in display or download the results of the test onto a computer and view the waveforms. This latter feature is especially useful for those who do have a Heart condition and wish to learn more about how to best manage their condition and performance of their Heart.

The MHM 100 is capable of detecting a wide range of potentially serious arrhythmias such as tachycardia (including VT), bradycardia, atrial and ventricular ectopics, pauses, and AF, as well as ST segment depression events.

According to leading physician Professor Brian Glenville, "This is a real breakthrough for the public and doctors alike and will enable the public to assume much greater responsibility for monitoring the health of their hearts.

"The reports and readouts produced by the MHM 100 offer a similar level of depth and insight to professional devices. Anyone taking a report from this device to their GP can do so confident in the knowledge that it provides all of the key indicators a Doctor would expect to see on an ECG."

Kay Patton, Managing Director of Medick Healthcare said, "More than 10 years of research and development have gone into this device and it offers a real breakthrough for people concerned about the risk of heart disease. At a time when the Government is spending millions to educate the public on adopting healthier lifestyles we believe this device could play a key role in helping the Government achieve its goal of reducing the risk of heart disease in the UK."

Notes to editor

* Source: AHA/ASA Heart disease and stroke statistics 2006