Hello Heart is an app that can help people dealing with high blood pressure. The idea to launch the app came after a study showed that patients who used a smartphone app and at-home monitor were able to drive down their blood pressure successfully.
Hello Heart App Monitor
The new app, Hello Heart, allows users to track their weight, their daily physical activities, and their blood pressure. It also offers tips on how users can manage their blood pressure, according to The Verge.
In the United States, half of the adults have high blood pressure. However, only a quarter of those adults have their condition under control. It can be a very tricky condition to monitor and manage, especially if they are only getting measurements taken during their hospital visits.
However, monitoring their blood pressure only when they visit their doctor is sometimes now accurate compared to monitoring it at home. If the condition is not monitored, it can put the patient at risk of a stroke or heart disease.
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The program has a blood pressure monitor that forwards the readings to an app. Then, Hello Heart monitors the trends and gives users strategies to improve their condition.
After a year of using the program, more than 85% of users with stage two hypertension had reductions in their systolic pressure. They also stayed at lower levels for three years, according to the study published in JAMA Network.
Patients with less serious conditions also used the app. Half of the patients with elevated blood pressure had reductions only after a year of using the app, and it showed that 70% of those with stage one hypertension had improved conditions.
Those who signed into the app frequently saw better impacts, and they had lower blood pressure than those who didn't. The study included more than 28,000 participants, according to Business Wire.
Patients who had employer-based health insurance plans and were diagnosed with the condition were asked if they wanted to participate in the study. The participants ranged from ages 43 to 58 years old, and they lived in areas with high socioeconomic status.
The study also tracked the participants for three years. The authors stated that they believe it is the first long-term study of a program made for blood pressure management.
Following participants over a certain period of time helps researchers check the impact of a program that is not just short-lived and can help patients manage their blood pressure longer.
Offered by Companies for Their Employees
Hello Heart is only available through employer wellness programs for now. It is offered by some companies as part of their health benefits.
Those who are not working for a company can't use the program just yet. But it is still possible to monitor their blood pressure at home without the app. Patients can use smartwatches to monitor their blood pressure.
Despite its promising results, the study's authors stated that those who used the program were middle-aged and that the majority of them were not from low-income households.
It is difficult to say that the app works in older patients and those diagnosed with serious complications caused by blood pressure.
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Written by Sophie Webster
