Digital health tools could help patients trying to lower their risk for heart disease, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found.
Researchers analyzed more than 100,000 people who used digital therapeutic company Hello Heart’s mobile app and heart health monitor over a span of five years and saw reductions in blood pressure (BP), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), and weight—all major risk factors for heart disease, according to the study.
These researchers included Edo Paz—lead author of the study, Hello Heart’s SVP of medical affairs, and a cardiologist at White Plains Hospital in New York—and clinical leaders from Hello Heart, CVS Health, Aetna, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the American Heart Association’s Center for Health Technology and Innovation.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death across genders and most racial and ethnic groups, according to the CDC. It’s also expensive for the healthcare industry: In one year between 2018 and 2019, for example, heart disease cost an estimated $239 billion in healthcare services, medicines, and lost productivity, according to one study cited by the CDC.
How did they do it?
The Hello Heart heart mobile app uses artificial intelligence and behavioral science to provide personalized coaching to participants that aligns with clinical guidelines. For the research, the app received data from multiple sources: Through the connected heart monitor, it recorded a user’s BP and heart rate. It also integrated data from medical records and apps like fitness trackers, and depended on users to manually input information about their medications, according to the study.
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