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A randomized controlled trial of brain and heart health manager-led mHealth secondary stroke prevention
Shasha Wang1, Ying Li2, Jishu Tian3
1Department of Neurology, Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Insights
The brain and heart health manager (BHHM)-led mHealth follow-up effectively reduced systolic blood pressure and improved self-management skills in stroke patients. However, it did not significantly impact BMI or blood low-density lipoprotein levels.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Secondary stroke prevention is crucial for patient recovery.
- The role of the brain and heart health manager (BHHM) in stroke secondary prevention is underexplored.
- mHealth technologies offer novel approaches to patient follow-up.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of BHHM-led mHealth follow-up for secondary stroke prevention.
- To assess the impact on blood pressure and self-management abilities.
- To investigate effects on medication adherence, BMI, and blood lipid profiles.
Main Methods:
- 200 stroke patients were randomized into intervention (BHHM-led mHealth) and control (telephone follow-up) groups.
- Follow-up duration was six months with primary outcomes assessed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.
- Primary outcomes included systolic blood pressure and self-management ability; secondary outcomes were medication adherence, BMI, and LDL cholesterol.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant reductions in systolic blood pressure were observed in the intervention group compared to the control group.
- The BHHM-led mHealth group demonstrated significantly improved self-health management ability.
- Medication adherence was significantly higher in the intervention group at six months.
- No significant differences were found in BMI, total cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein after one year.
Conclusions:
- BHHM-led mHealth follow-up is an effective strategy for managing blood pressure and enhancing self-care in stroke survivors.
- This intervention shows potential for improving medication adherence.
- The approach did not demonstrate significant effects on BMI or blood low-density lipoprotein management.
Background:
This study explores the effect of brain and heart health manager (BHHM)-led stroke secondary prevention on blood pressure, and in improving the self-management ability of stroke patients. The BHHM has not been reported.
Methods:
A total of 200 stroke patients, who were discharged from our hospital, were randomized into two groups at a 1:1 ratio: intervention group and control group. Patients in the control group were followed up for six months via telephone, while patients in the experimental group were followed up for six months using the BHHM-led mHealth follow-up. The primary outcomes were systolic blood pressure (BP) and self-management ability at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months, while the secondary outcomes included medication adherence, the body mass index (BMI), and blood low-density lipoprotein.
Results:
The systolic BP between these two groups at four time points (Ftime =8.734, Fgroup =172.075, and Finteraction =11.363) was statistically significant (P<0.05). The self-health management ability at four time points during follow-up period (Ftime =115.09, Fgroup =1,185.50, and Finteraction =108.22) was also significantly different between these two groups. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant difference in compliance with medication at six months (χ2=37.616, P=0.000). However, after one year, there were no significant differences in BMI (t=0.214, P=0.644), total cholesterol (t=0.56, P=0.837), and low-density lipoprotein (t=0.042, P=0.455).
Conclusions:
The BHHM-led mHealth follow-up is an effective method for managing BP and improving the self-care ability. Furthermore, this approach has no obvious effect on the management of BMI and blood low-density lipoprotein. A potential signal of efficacy with the intervention was observed.
