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How Digital Health Can Be Applied for Preventing and Managing Hypertension

Abstract

Purpose of Review

To summarize available data on digital health strategies for the prevention and management of hypertension, discussing the state-of-the-art, current limitations, and future perspective of this approach.

Recent Findings

Technology is developing at a fast pace and is providing a number of novel solutions for cardiovascular patients, in particular in the field of digital health. Even if the benefit of these approaches is intuitive, the methodological heterogeneity of the available studies and their small sample size have made it difficult to provide robust evidence regarding the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of digital health technologies. Recently, studies with larger sample sizes and some meta-analyses have provided more convincing data on the favorable impact of such strategies.

Summary

Digital health solutions may offer a chance to improve primary prevention and for timely diagnosis and effective management of hypertension. Results from small studies are promising, but there is a strong need for larger, long-term, and well-designed clinical trials to make these novel solutions really applicable in real-life patients’ care.

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Correspondence to Gianfranco Parati.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Prevention of Hypertension: Public Health Challenges

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Parati, G., Pellegrini, D. & Torlasco, C. How Digital Health Can Be Applied for Preventing and Managing Hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep 21, 40 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-019-0940-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-019-0940-0

Keywords

  • Telemedicine
  • Digital health
  • Hypertension prevention
  • Medical technology
  • eHealth