01470nas a2200157   4500000000100000008004100001100001500042700001700057700001800074700001400092245007500106300000600181490000700187520110400194022001401298       2017                            d1 aChow Clara1 aKlimis Harry1 aKhan Mohammad1 aKok Cindy00aThe Role of Text Messaging in Cardiovascular Risk Factor Optimization.  a40 v193 a<p>
<b>PURPOSE OF REVIEW: </b>Many cases of CVD may be avoidable through lowering behavioural risk factors such as smoking and physical inactivity. Mobile health (mHealth) provides a novel opportunity to deliver cardiovascular prevention programs in a format that is potentially scalable. Here, we provide an overview of text messaging-based mHealth interventions in cardiovascular prevention.
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<b>RECENT FINDINGS: </b>Text messaging-based interventions appear effective on a range of behavioural risk factors and can effect change on multiple risk factors-e.g. smoking, weight, blood pressure-simultaneously. For many texting studies, there are challenges in interpretation as many texting interventions are part of larger complex interventions making it difficult to determine the benefits of the separate components. Whilst there is evidence for text messaging improving cardiovascular risk factor levels in the short-term, future studies are needed to examine the durability of these effects and whether they can be translated to improvements in clinical care and outcomes.
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