A smartphone app to help patients with diabetes and uncontrolled high blood pressure monitor their blood pressure has been found to help improve people’s health over the course of a six-week trial.
News Medical reported on the study, which was carried out in the US with patients who had both diabetes and uncontrolled high blood pressure, found that remotely monitoring their blood pressure and receiving healthy living tips from a health coach for six weeks led to a significant decline in their blood pressure.
Dr Bimal R Shah, chief medical officer of Livongo, assistant consulting professor at Duke University School of Medicine and lead author on the study, explained that the pilot study shows how remote monitoring can bring benefits to patients.
“The improvement is comparable to what doctors would expect to see if a patient had started taking a low to moderate dose of a high blood pressure medication,” Dr Shah revealed.
He also noted that around one in two adults in the US is estimated to have high blood pressure, and of them, just 54 per cent have the condition under control.
The news provider also noted that other studies have shown that home monitoring of blood pressure leads to patients following treatment more closely and therefore has positive outcomes for the health of those patients.
The smartphone app used in this study connected wirelessly to a blood pressure monitor and cuff that the patients wore, automatically recording their blood pressure throughout the day.
A new study recently revealed that drinking one pint of beer or glass of wine a day can double your risk of developing high blood pressure, the Sun reported, indicating just how much lifestyle choices can impact the condition.
If you need help with blood pressure monitor testing, contact us today.