The Microlife WatchBP solution is the result of over two years of open dialogue and close cooperation between hypertension specialists, primary care physicians, medical societies, and Microlife.

The idea of WatchBP came about during an informal meeting between Microlife CEO, K.Y. Lin, and leading European hypertension specialist, Professor George S. Stergiou. In June of 2005, the two met for the first time at Dr. Stergiou’s hypertension clinic at the University of Athens and sat down to discuss the problems and possibilities of home blood pressure measurement.

Dr. Stergiou, a medical doctor with an aptitude for engineering, had recently participated in the European Society of Hypertension's (ESH) development and publication of new recommendations for home blood pressure measurement protocol. Developed over many years, and based on solid clinical evidence, this new ESH recommended protocol called for home measurements to be conducted over seven working days at fixed times during the morning and evening. The average of these results, minus those measurements taken on the first day, produced accurate home blood pressure measurement readings collected by patients that could also be trusted by physicians.

Mr. Lin, an engineer with a keen interest in healthcare, quickly recognized that many aspects of the ESH’s new blood pressure measurement protocol could be automated with the help of some modern technology and programming. By embedding the protocol into a digital blood pressure measurement device, many of the more labor-intensive aspects of the ESH data collection process, as well as the possibility of inaccurate reporting by patients could be eliminated.

Using simple technologies to improve hypertension control rates

Mr. Lin, upon returning to Microlife headquarters, immediately began work on the development of a protocol-embedded home blood pressure measurement device. The dialogue between Dr. Stergiou and Mr. Lin was, however, just the beginning. Mr. Lin became increasingly enamored with the idea that simple technologies, similar to those being developed in conjunction with the European Society of Hypertension, could play a valuable role in not only measuring blood pressure, but also more importantly, controlling hypertension.

In January of 2006, Microlife sponsored a two-day symposium entitled “Hypertension Monitoring and Management Global Thought Leaders Summit” in Taipei, Taiwan. Key opinion leaders on hypertension from the U.S., France, the U.K., Greece, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, and China attended the event.

The event was a success. In addition to increasing dialogue among thought leaders with a specific goal of improving hypertension control, the symposium also accelerated the development of WatchBP — an acronym for the ‘Whole Aspect for Treatment and Caring of High Blood Pressure’. The central mission of the WatchBP initiative is to promote more effective hypertension treatment and management achieved through the following:

Increased dialogue between hypertension societies, physicians, and patients.
The promotion of validated guidelines.
The introduction of device technologies that contribute to better primary care.

Since January of 2006, Microlife has continued to actively participate in each 'International Society of Hypertension'- and 'European Society of Hypertension' congress, taking the opportunity to share new information and listen to advice and suggestions from participants. These efforts subsequently led to an expansion of the original WatchBP concept of a home measurement device to include office and ambulatory devices as well.

Promoting the importance of blood pressure measurement in healthcare

Continuing dialogue with leading authorities on blood pressure measurement, including Dr. Pickering in New York, Dr. O’Brien in Ireland, and Dr. Imai in Japan, has expanded awareness of the importance of blood pressure in hypertension diagnosis and treatment. Microlife also continues to closely collaborate with prominent primary care physicians Dr. Jeff Yu in Taiwan and Dr. Scott Hammond in the U.S. to advance the implementation of WatchBP solutions into daily primary care practice.

As the main force behind the initiative, Microlife has hosted and sponsored many events and dedicated its R&D resources to the development of new health care technology. A worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing, and branding of medical diagnostic equipment for institutional and home use, Microlife seeks to fulfill the demand, bridge the gap, and achieve the lofty goals of the WatchBP initiative.



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The Microlife WatchBP solution is the result of over two years of open dialogue and close cooperation between hypertension specialists, primary care physicians, medical societies, and Microlife. The idea of WatchBP came about during an informal meeting between Microlife CEO, K.Y. Lin, and leading European hypertension specialist, Professor George S. Stergiou. In June of 2005, the two met for the first time at Dr. Stergiou’s hypertension clinic at the University of Athens and sat down to discuss the problems and possibilities of home blood pressure measurement. Dr. Stergiou, a medical doctor with an aptitude for engineering, had recently participated in the European Society of Hypertension's (ESH) development and publication of new recommendations for home blood pressure measurement protocol. Developed over many years, and based on solid clinical evidence, this new ESH recommended protocol called for home measurements to be conducted over seven working days at fixed times during the morning and evening. The average of these results, minus those measurements taken on the first day, produced accurate home blood pressure measurement readings collected by patients that could also be trusted by physicians. Mr. Lin, an engineer with a keen interest in healthcare, quickly recognized that many aspects of the ESH’s new blood pressure measurement protocol could be automated with the help of some modern technology and programming. By embedding the protocol into a digital blood pressure measurement device, many of the more labor-intensive aspects of the ESH data collection process, as well as the possibility of inaccurate reporting by patients could be eliminated. Using simple technologies to improve hypertension control rates Mr. Lin, upon returning to Microlife headquarters, immediately began work on the development of a protocol-embedded home blood pressure measurement device. The dialogue between Dr. Stergiou and Mr. Lin was, however, just the beginning. Mr. Lin became increasingly enamored with the idea that simple technologies, similar to those being developed in conjunction with the European Society of Hypertension, could play a valuable role in not only measuring blood pressure, but also more importantly, controlling hypertension. In January of 2006, Microlife sponsored a two-day symposium entitled “Hypertension Monitoring and Management Global Thought Leaders Summit” in Taipei, Taiwan. Key opinion leaders on hypertension from the U.S., France, the U.K., Greece, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, and China attended the event. The event was a success. In addition to increasing dialogue among thought leaders with a specific goal of improving hypertension control, the symposium also accelerated the development of WatchBP — an acronym for the ‘Whole Aspect for Treatment and Caring of High Blood Pressure’. The central mission of the WatchBP initiative is to promote more effective hypertension treatment and management achieved through the following: Increased dialogue between hypertension societies, physicians, and patients. The promotion of validated guidelines. The introduction of device technologies that contribute to better primary care. Since January of 2006, Microlife has continued to actively participate in each 'International Society of Hypertension'- and 'European Society of Hypertension' congress, taking the opportunity to share new information and listen to advice and suggestions from participants. These efforts subsequently led to an expansion of the original WatchBP concept of a home measurement device to include office and ambulatory devices as well. Promoting the importance of blood pressure measurement in healthcare Continuing dialogue with leading authorities on blood pressure measurement, including Dr. Pickering in New York, Dr. O’Brien in Ireland, and Dr. Imai in Japan, has expanded awareness of the importance of blood pressure in hypertension diagnosis and treatment. Microlife also continues to closely collaborate with prominent primary care physicians Dr. Jeff Yu in Taiwan and Dr. Scott Hammond in the U.S. to advance the implementation of WatchBP solutions into daily primary care practice. As the main force behind the initiative, Microlife has hosted and sponsored many events and dedicated its R&D resources to the development of new health care technology. A worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing, and branding of medical diagnostic equipment for institutional and home use, Microlife seeks to fulfill the demand, bridge the gap, and achieve the lofty goals of the WatchBP initiative.