Some people with high blood pressure may finally gain control by doing something simple: using blood pressure monitors at home and receiving reminder texts.
A new study from the University of Pennsylvania shows that this approach works better than regular in-office care alone.
In the study, patients were sent blood pressure cuffs and invited to send their readings via text to their healthcare team. They also received regular text reminders to check and report their blood pressure.
This method helped 35% of participants lower their blood pressure to healthy levels. In contrast, only 21% of patients who just went to regular office visits without home monitoring reached the same goal.
Dr. Shivan Mehta, one of the researchers, said the team wanted to find a way to make monitoring easier and more frequent for patients. The regular text reminders gently kept blood pressure in patients’ minds and made it easier for them to adjust medications or lifestyle choices with the help of their doctors.
The study involved 425 people who struggled to control their high blood pressure, even with regular visits to their doctors. Some patients were randomly chosen to receive home blood pressure monitors and text messages. Others continued with regular office care.
The researchers tested two ways of offering the home monitoring program: “opt-in” and “opt-out.” In the opt-in group, people were asked to agree to receive the cuff and texts. In the opt-out group, they were sent the cuff unless they said they didn’t want it. The idea was to see which group would be more likely to participate.
Surprisingly, there was little difference in participation. About 34% of people in the opt-in group and 38% in the opt-out group took their blood pressure and texted results. They also submitted nearly the same number of readings over six months.
But even though participation rates were similar, both home monitoring groups had better health results than the group that received standard care only. This suggests that having a monitor at home and receiving reminders, regardless of how it was offered, helped patients take better care of their blood pressure.
Dr. Mehta noted that all participants had previously struggled to control their blood pressure. The extra help—simple tools and reminders—made a big difference in helping them stay in touch with their doctors and stick to treatment.
The study also included a large number of Black participants—about 86% of the total—because it was done in a clinic that serves mostly Black patients.
In the U.S., Black adults are more likely to have high blood pressure than white adults and to develop it at a younger age. The success of this simple program is encouraging and could help reduce health gaps between different communities.
The University of Pennsylvania is already using what they learned from this study in their Penn Medicine Heart Health program. They’re adding similar home monitoring and text message programs to help more patients manage high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
This research offers hope that with just a little extra support, many people with high blood pressure can get their condition under control.
The study is published in JAMA Network Open.
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