Text Reminders Help People Lower Cholesterol, Blood Pressure

There’s no dispute over the fact that mobile health interventions explicitly implies theories on how we can use an ever-growing variety of shiny new smartphone apps and sensors to better manage our health.

But texting, the throwback mobile technology, may deserve some of that spotlight, too.

In a recent study, people who received motivating and informative messages led patients with coronary heart disease to make behavior changes like exercising more and smoking less. By the end of the six-month study, patients who had received the text messages had reduced their cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index. The text messages worked to improve not just one risk factor for heart disease, but many.

While there are more than 100,000 health-related apps on the market, there is no evidence to date that suggests whether many of those apps are safe or effective.

To learn more about the texting study, click here.