Contact Information: Contact: Mark N. Schwartz CEO (651) 687-9999
Hypertension Diagnostics' HDI/PulseWave(TM) CR-2000 Research System to Be Used in International HIV Study on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
| Source: Hypertension Diagnostics
ST. PAUL, MN--(Marketwire - September 9, 2009) - Hypertension Diagnostics, Inc. (OTCBB : HDII ),
today announced that its non-invasive HDI/PulseWave CR-2000 Research
System (CR-2000) has been selected for use in the Strategic Timing of
AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) substudy on Arterial Elasticity that will
examine blood vessel function and cardiovascular risk during HIV infection.
START is a randomized, international multicenter trial that is examining
the early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-infected
individuals in approximately 88 sites in 22 countries. START is funded
primarily by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), both
part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through a grant awarded to
the University of Minnesota and is being conducted by the International
Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT). The START
Arterial Elasticity substudy is a novel study designed to determine if
early initiation of ART is superior to deferral of ART in increasing
arterial elasticity and, thereby, preventing cardiovascular disease.
Measurement of arterial elasticity using the CR-2000 will be used to study
blood vessel function and cardiovascular disease risk during HIV infection.
The substudy will enroll approximately 300 patients over three years at 16
sites located in the U.S. and six other countries around the world.
Patients will be followed for a period of four and one-half years.
Greg H. Guettler, president of HDI, said, "There are over 500,000 people in
the U.S. in active treatment for AIDS. Over the last several years,
cardiovascular disease has become more common in people with HIV infection
and it now ranks as a major cause of death with the risk for heart attack
70 to 80 percent higher among people with HIV than among those who do not
have HIV. We are, therefore, very proud to have been selected to play a
key role in the START substudy designed to determine whether arterial
elasticity measurements can provide additional insight into the prevention
of cardiovascular disease in HIV patients. The selection of our technology
in this ground breaking trial shows the importance of measuring arterial
elasticity in detecting and managing cardiovascular disease and is a
further demonstration of HDI's mission to become the standard for
identifying and monitoring patients with cardiovascular disease."
Forward-looking statements in this press release are made under the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
The Company wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any
forward-looking statements and to recognize that the statements are not a
prediction of actual future results. Actual results could differ
materially from those presented and anticipated in the forward-looking
statements due to the risks and uncertainties set forth in the Company's
2008 Annual Report on Form 10-KSB, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q, all of which were filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, as well as others not now anticipated.
CVProfilor is a registered trademark of Hypertension Diagnostics, Inc.
Hypertension Diagnostics, HDI/PulseWave, PulseWave and CVProfile are
trademarks of Hypertension Diagnostics, Inc. All rights reserved.
Website: www.hdii.com