A prospective cohort study of home blood pressure monitoring based on an intelligent cloud platform (the HBPM-iCloud study): rationale and design

BACKGROUND: Hypertension, as a predominant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is a severe public health burden in China. Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is an important tool in the detection and management of hypertension. However, there is a lack of HBPM data from prospective cohorts in China. Hence, we designed this study to investigate the impact of HBPM on major health outcomes in Chinese population participating in regular health check-ups. METHODS: Leveraging telemedicine technology, the open prospective, multicenter, HBPM-iCloud (Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Based on an Intelligent Cloud Platform) cohort study will recruit participants from three participating health check-up centers in southern China to participate in cloud-based HBPM for 1 week. The prevalence of sustained hypertension, white coat hypertension (WCH), masked hypertension (MH), white coat uncontrolled hypertension (WUCH), and masked uncontrolled hypertension (MUCH) will be defined by a combination of average readings of home-based and office-based blood pressure (BP). Cardiovascular risk factors and subclinical target organ damage will be recorded. Participants will be followed-up for 5 years to examine the incidence and associated risk factors of composite major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event. CONCLUSION: The study will help to determine the best way to implement telemedicine technology in BP control for better prevention and treatment of hypertension. Results will provide data for a Chinese population to aid in the construction of screening, risk stratification, and intervention strategies for abnormal BP phenotypes, including WCH, MH, WUCH, and MUCH.