Text messages as a tool to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of global mortality, claiming 17.9 million lives annually. Major risk factors include unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption. Text messaging interventions have the potential to impr...

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Main Authors: Ernesto Calderon Martinez, Stephin Zachariah Saji, Jonathan Victor Salazar Ore, Ajay Kumar, Angie Carolina Alonso Ramírez, Sutirtha Mohanty, Viridiana Yumiko Nakamura Ramírez, Ahmad Hammoud, Leen Nasser Shaban, Vaidarshi Abbagoni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:BMC Public Health
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21818-0
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author Ernesto Calderon Martinez
Stephin Zachariah Saji
Jonathan Victor Salazar Ore
Ajay Kumar
Angie Carolina Alonso Ramírez
Sutirtha Mohanty
Viridiana Yumiko Nakamura Ramírez
Ahmad Hammoud
Leen Nasser Shaban
Vaidarshi Abbagoni
author_facet Ernesto Calderon Martinez
Stephin Zachariah Saji
Jonathan Victor Salazar Ore
Ajay Kumar
Angie Carolina Alonso Ramírez
Sutirtha Mohanty
Viridiana Yumiko Nakamura Ramírez
Ahmad Hammoud
Leen Nasser Shaban
Vaidarshi Abbagoni
author_sort Ernesto Calderon Martinez
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of global mortality, claiming 17.9 million lives annually. Major risk factors include unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption. Text messaging interventions have the potential to improve individual risk factors and encourage healthy habits. These interventions have been shown to help manage risk factors and slow disease progression. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of text messaging interventions for the primary prevention of CVD risk factors. Methods This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Searches were conducted on PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and CINAHL using MeSH and free-text terms related to cardiovascular disease and text messaging interventions on February 12, 2024. Results Out of 5,748 identified articles, 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed that text messaging interventions significantly improved medication adherence, with a pooled effect size (Mean Difference [MD]) of 0.62 (95% CI: 0.37 to 0.86; p < 0.01; I² = 0.0%). They also significantly reduced diastolic blood pressure (MD: -2.66; 95% CI: -4.63 to -0.70; I² = 85%; p < 0.01) and systolic blood pressure (MD: -6.12; 95% CI: -10.26 to -1.97; I² = 96%; p < 0.01). However, no significant improvements were observed in BMI, LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, or HbA1c levels. Conclusion Text messaging interventions effectively improve medication adherence and reduce blood pressure, making them a promising tool for CVD risk control. However, their impact on other cardiovascular risk factors is limited, highlighting the need for further research to explore long-term effects and personalized interventions for diverse populations. Integrating these digital tools into healthcare strategies could enhance CVD prevention efforts and improve cardiovascular risk factor control outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-3dcdcdc87795463aa453ae4ba57a52922025-08-20T01:54:20ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-04-0125112210.1186/s12889-025-21818-0Text messages as a tool to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trialsErnesto Calderon Martinez0Stephin Zachariah Saji1Jonathan Victor Salazar Ore2Ajay Kumar3Angie Carolina Alonso Ramírez4Sutirtha Mohanty5Viridiana Yumiko Nakamura Ramírez6Ahmad Hammoud7Leen Nasser Shaban8Vaidarshi Abbagoni9Digital Health, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoOur Lady of Fatima University, College of MedicineFacultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Buenos AiresIsra University Faculty of Medicine and Allied Medical SciencesFacultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad JaverianaGovernment Medical College Kozhikode, Kerala University of Health SciencesFacultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoIlia State UniversityIlia State UniversitySt. Vincent Medical Center, Frank H. Netter Quinnipiac UniversityAbstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of global mortality, claiming 17.9 million lives annually. Major risk factors include unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption. Text messaging interventions have the potential to improve individual risk factors and encourage healthy habits. These interventions have been shown to help manage risk factors and slow disease progression. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of text messaging interventions for the primary prevention of CVD risk factors. Methods This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Searches were conducted on PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and CINAHL using MeSH and free-text terms related to cardiovascular disease and text messaging interventions on February 12, 2024. Results Out of 5,748 identified articles, 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed that text messaging interventions significantly improved medication adherence, with a pooled effect size (Mean Difference [MD]) of 0.62 (95% CI: 0.37 to 0.86; p < 0.01; I² = 0.0%). They also significantly reduced diastolic blood pressure (MD: -2.66; 95% CI: -4.63 to -0.70; I² = 85%; p < 0.01) and systolic blood pressure (MD: -6.12; 95% CI: -10.26 to -1.97; I² = 96%; p < 0.01). However, no significant improvements were observed in BMI, LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, or HbA1c levels. Conclusion Text messaging interventions effectively improve medication adherence and reduce blood pressure, making them a promising tool for CVD risk control. However, their impact on other cardiovascular risk factors is limited, highlighting the need for further research to explore long-term effects and personalized interventions for diverse populations. Integrating these digital tools into healthcare strategies could enhance CVD prevention efforts and improve cardiovascular risk factor control outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21818-0Text messagesCardiovascularRisk factorsMeta-analysisSystematic review
spellingShingle Ernesto Calderon Martinez
Stephin Zachariah Saji
Jonathan Victor Salazar Ore
Ajay Kumar
Angie Carolina Alonso Ramírez
Sutirtha Mohanty
Viridiana Yumiko Nakamura Ramírez
Ahmad Hammoud
Leen Nasser Shaban
Vaidarshi Abbagoni
Text messages as a tool to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
BMC Public Health
Text messages
Cardiovascular
Risk factorsMeta-analysis
Systematic review
title Text messages as a tool to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
title_full Text messages as a tool to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
title_fullStr Text messages as a tool to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
title_full_unstemmed Text messages as a tool to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
title_short Text messages as a tool to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
title_sort text messages as a tool to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors control a systematic review and meta analysis of randomized clinical trials
topic Text messages
Cardiovascular
Risk factorsMeta-analysis
Systematic review
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21818-0
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