Mobile phone text messaging for improving secondary prevention in cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to identify, retrieve, critically appraise and synthesize information regarding existing mobile phone text messaging interventions that have been done for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods A systematic review was conducted. The searching was conducted by using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, CINAHL, PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were eligible and included. Results The preventive factors measured among studies varied. While the majority of studies examined medication adherence as a main outcome (4), the other 3 studies focused on CVD risk factors combining blood pressure (BP), smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical activity and dietary habits, only 2 studies examined both medication adherence and risk factor modification of CVD. Conclusion Even though mobile phone text messaging may be beneficial for the secondary prevention of CVD, reliable conclusions on the effects of text messaging cannot be drawn.