TRACK YOUR ECG ANYTIME, ANYWHERE WITH EPI LIFE

Heartronics in Partnership with Maxis and Pantai Hospital KL As Hospital of Choice Introduces World’s First ECG Mobile Phone to Malaysians

KUALA LUMPUR, 19 September 2012 – Heartronics Sdn Bhd (‘Heartronics’), in partnership with Maxis Berhad (‘Maxis’), Malaysia’s leading integrated communications service provider, and Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (‘PHKL’), as hospital of choice recently launched to Malaysians, EPI Life - the world’s first Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring device that incorporates ECG capabilities onto a mobile phone. EPI Life was designed and developed by EPI Mobile Health Solutions (S) Pte Ltd (‘EPI’) to provide an essential link between the patient and the medical professional, and allow early detection of potential heart problems.

Once the user signs up for the EPI Life ECG service, they will automatically be connected to a 24-hour Health Concierge Centre dedicated to them. As and when necessary, the user takes an ECG using the built in sensors on the mobile phone and sends the ECG file to the Centre through GPRS. The data is then interpreted by medically trained professionals at the Centre, and the response is sent back via SMS to the user within a few minutes. EPI Life users will be prompted to seek medical advice if abnormalities are detected.

For irregularities in the ECG to be captured, the ECG must be taken when symptoms (dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, palpitations or chest pains) are present. It is important to monitor your heart condition to detect heart problems before it’s too late, especially if you are a high risk patient (diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking).

Cardiovascular problems can start early in life and may go undetected for years. Many who experience a heart attack, a stroke or a sudden cardiac death, were not aware they were suffering from heart disease before the occurrence of this extreme event. Heart disease still remains the primary cause of death in this country. Other associated risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity are also on the rise. As such, we need to be proactive in caring for our cardio health, even if we think we are reasonably fit and healthy.

Consultant Cardiologist from PHKL, Dr David Quek explained, “Symptoms of discomfort can sometimes be short and transient, and people may not even realise that what they are experiencing could be heart-related problems. In many instances, patients see a doctor only after the symptoms have abated. As a result, it is challenging to accurately pick up these irregularities or give an accurate diagnosis since the patients’ ECGs would have a more or less normal reading by then.”

As exclusive telco partner, Maxis is providing customised service plans for the device, with ECG rates from as low as RM13. The device is retailed at RM2,299 each, which will be available at the KLCC, TTDI, Sunway Pyramid and The Gardens Maxis Centres. Maxis One Club (MOC) members will be able to enjoy a RM600 discount if they sign up by the end of September, and a RM300 discount thereafter.

Jean-Michel Mougin, Managing Director of Heartronics said, “EPI Life can help save the lives of those who have a history of heart disease or at risk of developing one, busy executives, those over 35 years of age and people who travel frequently. As the sole authorised importer of EPI Life in Malaysia, Heartronics aims to avail this innovation to Malaysians, especially with the high-risk group that encompasses over 5 million Malaysians.

“Through early detection, Malaysians can seek immediate medical advice before the condition becomes serious and/or results in Sudden Cardiac Death (an unexpected death due to heart dysfunction).

Many people think they have a healthy heart if they have not experienced problems before. However, there are many cases of young athletes who did not show any prior symptoms indicative of a heart condition but passed away suddenly due to heart failure. The most common cause of Sudden Cardiac Death is undetected, and thus untreated arrhythmias. Taking an ECG is one of the most effective ways to detect arrhythmias as it accurately measures the electrical activity of the heart,” he added.

T. Kugan, Maxis’ Head of Product, Device, Innovation and Roaming said, “Enabling health services via mobile devices and wireless technologies is an important area of focus for us at Maxis. As such, we are proud to be supporting Heartronics as an enabler for this device and to be the first telco to offer customised data plans for our customers in this area. We have offered various mobile healthcare services previously, and this is another positive step in our pursuit towards a future where we can harness mobile technology in a manner that will enable everyone to have access to life services such as healthcare.”

Dr David Quek said, “PHKL is honoured to be the Hospital of Choice for referrals for EPI Life subscribers. Having the Pantai Heart Centre as one of the Centres of Excellence, an integrated centre offering comprehensive cardiac services, the hospital will be able to provide necessary cardiology services for patients who are referred to us.”

Conceptualized and invented by an internationally renowned cardiologist, Prof Dr Michael C.L. Lim, EPI Life is currently being used by heart patients in Singapore and other countries worldwide.

Speaking on his invention of the device, Prof Dr Lim said, “EPI Life is designed and developed for the convenience and safety of not just heart patients, but also those who belong to the “at-risk” group, and others who want to better manage their health.

It makes it extremely practical for them to record their ECGs whenever and wherever they feel any discomfort or symptoms that may indicate the onset of a heart condition. Users are able to access the ECGs online through their personal virtual health folder anytime, anywhere; or show their recorded ECGs to their doctors on the device itself.

Prof Lim added that because the chip used in the device is the same as that used in standard ECG machines, ECGs recorded with the EPI Life shows 98% correlation with the standard 12-Lead ECG, based on the clinical study conducted and published in the European Heart Journal.

Certified by SIRIM (Malaysia) and HSA (Health Science Authority, Singapore), EPI Life has also won several accolades such as the World Summit Award in 2011 and two awards in the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Award in 2010.

Complete with a health monitoring suite to allow users to track blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels as well as mobile phone functionalities, EPI Life is truly the world’s first mobile phone that takes care of your heart.

For more information about Heartronics and EPI Life, please log on to www.heartronics.com.my or www.health.mylaunchpad.com.my