TOPLINE:
Among the digital health interventions (DHIs) available for people with hypertension, applications seem to work best, although the effect size is modest.
METHODOLOGY:
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of 41 studies of DHIs for adult hypertension (33,826 participants).
- The outcome was the pooled mean difference of systolic or diastolic change at 6 months.
TAKEAWAY:
- In pooled data from 26 randomised controlled trials, applications reduced systolic blood pressure by 1.45 mmHg over 6 months.
- The applications also reduced systolic pressure compared with controls.
- Text messages or calls to a mobile phone had no effect.
IN PRACTICE:
"...[H]ealthcare providers should be familiar with various phone-based interventions and encourage people with hypertension to consider using smartphone-based apps for blood pressure management," the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
Conducted by researchers in Staffordshire, the study appeared in International Journal of Medical Informatics.
LIMITATIONS:
Effect size may not be clinically significant. There was substantial heterogeneity among studies. Many studies' participants' hypertension was already under control. Subgroup analysis by age was not possible because most studies did not break down results by age. Bias was seen in many of the studies.
DISCLOSURES:
The authors declared that they had no competing interests. The study was funded by the University of Staffordshire.
