ST. PAUL, MN – March 02, 2001 – Hypertension Diagnostics, Inc. (Nasdaq SmallCap: HDII; HDIIW; HDIIU), today announced that it sold ten of its HDI/PulseWave™ CR-2000 Research CardioVascular Profiling Systems to China in support of a ten-site research study designed to obtain arterial elasticity values from a diverse geographic group of approximately 2,000 healthy individuals.

   
The study, "A Multi-Site Study of a Healthy Chinese Population to Establish Reference Ranges for Hemodynamic Parameters Obtained Non-Invasively Using the HDI CardioVascular Profiling System," is being conducted under the financial backing of HDI’s exclusive Chinese distributor, Shenzhen Zhongshen Medical Apparatus & Instruments Co., Ltd. and under the medical direction of their Principal Investigator, Professor Weizhong Zhang, M.D., of the Shanghai Institute of Hypertension in Shanghai, China. Each of the ten sites will be collecting arterial elasticity data from normal, healthy male and female subjects between the ages of 15 and 80 years of age.

The results of this study will provide Chinese physicians with the first-ever comparative clinical data that will be clinically beneficial to them for screening, diagnosing and monitoring the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease. Extensive scientific research has shown that a premature loss of blood vessel elasticity is associated with cardiovascular disease and an increase in morbid cardiovascular events. A "normal" reference range for elasticity values adjusted by age, height, weight and gender will allow physicians to better identify those patients who are at the highest risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

HDI has been advised that Shenzhen Zhongshen Medical Apparatus & Instruments Co., Ltd. has an annual revenue of approximately $18 million (U.S. equivalent), has more than 100 employees in ten branch offices throughout China, two branch offices in Houston, Texas and Gardena, California, and is headquartered in Shenzhen, China. The firm’s president, Mr. Fuquan Liu, has elected to conduct this large nationwide arterial elasticity study to obtain information that will be used to develop the CVProfilorä
MD-3000 System physician practice model to be marketed throughout China and as a way to demonstrate the importance of the technology to key hypertension opinion leaders throughout China.

"China is the most populous nation in the world with over 1.2 billion people," said Greg H. Guettler, President. "There are 50-60 million patients with hypertension in China and cardiovascular disease claims approximately 2.5 million lives annually. This multi-site study is a significant step in our worldwide launch of HDI’s pulse wave analysis technology. We believe that this market provides HDI with an exciting opportunity to make world history as the first company to collect small artery elasticity data in China and to significantly grow our business internationally," said Guettler.

Shenzhen Zhongshen Medical Apparatus & Instruments Co., Ltd. has exclusive distribution rights to HDI’s products in all Chinese provinces, including Hong Kong. Following completion of this study, formal regulatory approval for the marketing of the CVProfilorä MD-3000 System will need to be obtained through the government of the Peoples Republic of China.

HDI has received notification that a Certificate of Grant of Patent has been awarded by the Patents Registry in Hong Kong. Patent No. HK1014351, entitled "Vascular Impedance Measurement Instrument", was applied for during 1991 and has a term expiring in 2011. This Hong Kong patent excludes others from making, marketing, using, importing or stocking a product similar to HDI’s CardioVascular Profiling System without authorization from HDI. The issuance of this patent expands HDI’s intellectual property portfolio to twelve patents including one each for Europe and Japan, as well as several pending patent applications.

Hypertension Diagnostics, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary cardiovascular profiling systems for clinical and research applications. These systems carry the Underwriters Labs label and the CE Mark of quality, and they are marketed to physicians, other health care professionals and researchers by a direct sales force and via distributors throughout the world. In addition to providing blood pressure values, the systems can non-invasively detect subtle changes in the compliance or elasticity of both large and small arteries which is a unique feature of HDI’s technology.

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 cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements and to recognize that the statements are not predictions 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 2000 Annual Report on Form 10-KSB under the caption "Risk Factors," as well as others not now anticipated.

Hypertension Diagnostics, HDI/PulseWave™ and CVProfilor^® are trademarks of Hypertension Diagnostics, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact: Greg H. Guettler, President