High blood pressure affects a large portion of adults in the U.S., and managing it is essential to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
A recent study tested a new bilingual app that allows patients to share their blood pressure readings with healthcare professionals.
This method shows promise in helping more people control their high blood pressure.
The App’s Features and Use
The tested app was designed for easy use. Patients downloaded it to their phones and could send daily or weekly blood pressure readings to their local community health clinics.
Those who spoke Spanish had their own version of the app. All participants were given home blood pressure monitors and helpful videos explaining how to use both the app and the monitors.
To make the app even more helpful, it included links about healthy eating and mental well-being.
The healthcare teams at the clinics had their own web portal where they could review patients’ details. This portal was important because it showed:
- How often patients were taking their medications.
- If patients were experiencing side effects from the medicines.
- If there were any issues in obtaining the medications.
Based on this data, the health care teams could prioritize which patients needed attention and could then reach out to them either via the app or phone.
Findings from the Study
A significant number, 2,500 people, from 54 health centers across 13 states, participated in this study.
The main goal was to see how many could control their blood pressure (defined as a reading under 140/90) using the app.
When the study began, only 31% of participants had their blood pressure under control. By the study’s end, this increased dramatically to 61%.
Specifically, among those who began with high readings, 55% managed to achieve controlled levels after using the app.
Interestingly, Spanish-speaking participants showed even better results. Of them, 35% had controlled levels at the start. But after an average of 220 days using the app, a whopping 70% achieved control.
What’s Next and Why It Matters
Dr. Irina Yermilov, who led the study, emphasized that the results indicate that combining digital monitoring with feedback from medical professionals can help more people manage their blood pressure.
And this is without increasing the overall health care costs.
The team now plans to dive deeper into their findings. They want to understand which specific features of the program helped the most in improving blood pressure control.
In the end, tools like this could be a game-changer. High blood pressure is a common concern in the U.S., and innovations that help manage it can lead to healthier lives and reduced medical expenses.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about This high blood pressure drug may help you live longer and findings of common high blood pressure medication may not be the best choice.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that Beetroot juice could help lower high blood pressure, and results showing this common plant nutrient could help reduce high blood pressure.
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