Bad Boost in Blood Pressure? Log On and Chill Out
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Folks with out-of-control blood pressure take note : all you need to get things back on track may just be a keyboard and a cable modem.
A new study shows a pharmacist-led blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) program supported by the American Heart Association’s “Heart 360” website improved blood pressure control for patients with uncontrolled hypertension.
More than 350 patients with uncontrolled hypertension aged 18 to 85 years with Internet access were randomized into the HBPM group, or the UC (Usual Care) group. They were then led to the website http://www.Heart360.org, which is the American Heart Association’s free online heart health management center. The site allows patients to track and manage their blood pressure, then share that information with their medical provider.
Research shows after only six months, a greater portion of the patients in the HBPM group had their blood pressure controlled to healthy levels (58 percent), compared to the UC group (38 percent).
Study authors said their results suggest that blood pressure is better managed when patients have access to HBPM, online tools and a designated team of specialists.
Source : The American Heart Association; May 2010
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