American Healthways, the nation’s leading provider of comprehensive disease management and care enhancement services to health plans, physicians, medical management organizations and hospitals, is using several new medical technologies in launching the early-detection pilot as part of its Diabetes Healthways^SM for hospitals program. Diabetes Healthways^SM for hospitals helps physicians and nurses manage patients with diabetes through physician support services, case management, professional and clinical staff education, clinical interventions and patient education. The program’s inpatient component uniquely enables hospitals to address the special needs of patients with diabetes, regardless of their reason for admission. The program’s outpatient component is designed to help individuals with diabetes develop and practice the self-management skills that will improve their health status and quality of life, and that are likely to reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.
Hypertension Diagnostics has been chosen to partner in this innovative pilot program to identify underlying vascular disease in diabetic patients. By detecting the loss of arterial elasticity in the microvasculature (endothelial dysfunction), the CVProfilor^® DO-2020 is intended to screen patients for vascular disease that might otherwise go unnoticed, and, through improved disease management, reduce vascular disease complications in diabetic patients.

“The inclusion of the CVProfilor^® DO-2020 in our new Advanced Diagnostics disease management initiative is a key step toward elevating early vascular disease detection to a standard of care for the treatment of diabetes,” said Mary Hunter, executive vice president and chief operating officer of American Healthways’ hospital group. “Early detection and improved management of diabetes, which is the sixth leading cause of death in America today, will make an incredible difference in the health and the lives of the 16 million people in our country who have the disease, many of whom needlessly suffer its complications.”

“We are very pleased to participate in the initiative American Healthways has undertaken on behalf of patients with diabetes,” said Greg H. Guettler, president of Hypertension Diagnostics. “The risk of death among people with diabetes is twice that of people without it, and vascular disease is the primary culprit in at least 75 percent of people with diabetes. Early identification of vascular abnormalities using the CVProfilor^® DO-2020 System coupled with American Healthways’ improved Standards of Care, outpatient education and inpatient care, mean many more Americans with diabetes will be able to improve their health and live longer, more productive lives.”

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 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-KSB under the caption “Risk Factors,” 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.


Contact: Greg H. Guettler, President