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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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How Text Message Could Help Prevent Heart Disease? Data revealed by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that 17.5 million people around the world die from cardiovascular disease each year, mainly due to heart attacks and strokes. Smoking, an unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are some of the major risk factors that could cause people to develop cardiovascular disease. Fortunately, if people can quit smoking, get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day and consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, their risk of getting heart disease and stroke would be lower. WHO and the American Heart Association have both set goals to cut the mortality rate of cardiovascular disease by 25 percent by 2025. But the challenge is how to persuade people who are at risk of cardiovascular disease to adopt a healthy lifestyle. According to an Australian study that were published online September 22, 2015 in ‘JAMA - The Journal of the American Medical Association’, texting gentle reminders to patients with heart disease on heart-healthy habits might just help them make real changes. 710 patients with an average age of 58 were recruited between September 2011 and November 2013 from a large tertiary hospital in Sydney, Australia. These patients, 82 percent of them were males, had proven coronary heart disease (prior myocardial infarction or proven angiographically). They were also overweight or obese, and many were taking medications to reduce their blood pressure and cholesterol.
Participants were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group of 352 patients were assigned to received texts, 4 times a week, sent by researchers on random weekdays at varying times. The texts were personalized with patient names and advice on lifestyle changes tailored to their individual needs. The remaining 358 patients were assigned to a control group that were stuck with their usual care routines but did not receive texts. Researchers examined all patients at the beginning of the study and again 6 months later to assess fasting lipid levels, heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and waist circumference. They also questioned participants about their eating, exercise and smoking habits. Their findings showed that patients who got the texts generally had more success lowering their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and tobacco use than the people who did not after 6 months. If these risk factors could be lowered over the long term, according to researchers, the risk of repeat heart attacks among the patients would be lower. Many studies have already tested the use of text messaging to help patients comply with recommended therapies or lifestyle changes, yet not all have been successful. It is encouraging to see the new trial gave promising results for using technology to fight heart disease. The study, however, did have few limitations. Being of a relatively small size, the study relied on patients to report changes in diet, exercise and smoking habits. Also, the study was conducted at a single location in Australia, instead of several different sites across the country. It was not clear if the results would apply to people living elsewhere. Meanwhile, the researchers were not sure whether the changes patients experienced might last once the text messages stopped or the optimal number of texts needed to make new habits stick. Obviously, it is necessary to have more research that evaluate in broader settings and patients’ populations. Nevertheless, the new findings did suggest that texts could just play a critical future role in helping patients make lifestyle changes. Statistics from the United Nations showed that of the world’s 7 billion people, 6 million have mobile phones. More than 90 percent of text messages are read within the first 3 minutes of being received. Text messages, which is a great low-tech and high-touch means, could be an easy and affordable way to reach patients who need support making lifestyle changes after they go home from the hospital.
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