November 17, 2010
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Mobile phone-based telemonitoring improved BP control for patients with diabetes

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American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2010

CHICAGO — Patients with type 2 diabetes and uncontrolled systolic hypertension who used a mobile-based telemonitoring system significantly improved their blood pressure control during 1 year.

Researchers compared 12-month results among 55 patients with diabetes and uncontrolled systolic hypertension who were assigned to monitor their BP at home in a standard manner with 55 patients who monitored their BP using a mobile phone-based telemonitoring system.

The fully automated mobile phone-based telemonitoring system is designed to actively engage patients in their care. Patients assigned to telemonitoring received pre-programmed mobile phones that automatically transmitted readings from a Bluetooth-enabled home BP monitor. Patients receive feedback on the mobile phone screen, in the form of current BP levels and messages ranging from congratulations to a prompt to take additional readings during a certain period to get a reliable reading. If BP values are too high, patients are alerted to make follow-up appointments with their physician; similarly, if a 3-day or 2-week average exceeds a prespecified average, the physician is notified. Physicians can review the results of the patients’ BP levels on a Web-based server.

At baseline, the patients’ mean daytime systolic BP was 142.7 mm Hg and diastolic BP was 77.1 mm Hg. Researchers noted no baseline between-group differences.

At 1 year, systolic BP significantly decreased by 9.1 mm Hg in the telemonitoring group compared with a 1.6 mm Hg increase in the group that monitored BP at home in the standard manner. The mean between-group difference was 7.5 mm Hg for systolic BP changes and 3.2 mm Hg for diastolic BP changes.

BP control was achieved in 37% of the cell phone-based telemonitoring patients vs. 14.2% of standard monitoring patients (P<.02).

The researchers said they will continue to analyze possible reasons for the decrease in BP in patients using the telemonitoring system.

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