Text messaging for monitoring cardiovascular disease

In this update to a Cochrane review published in 2017, researchers assessed the benefits and drawbacks of cell phone text messaging to improve medication adherence in people with cardiovascular disease, compared with usual care. To the 7 studies previously included, 11 were added for a total of 8,136 participants. Participants, with a mean age of 53-64 years, suffered from a variety of cardiovascular diseases: acute coronary syndrome, coronary artery disease, stroke, myocardial infarction and angina pectoris. There was limited evidence to determine whether text messaging reduced medication adherence, fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events and cardiovascular events, compared with usual care. Little or no effect of text messaging was observed on LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure and heart rate.