Smartphone-guided secondary prevention for patients with coronary artery disease

INTRODUCTION: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Lifestyle change is a crucial part of secondary prevention. Only 30% of CAD patients follow the corresponding guideline recommendations. The widespread adoption of smartphones offers the opportunity to integrate secondary prevention into the daily routine of CAD patients. METHODS: We developed an app to integrate secondary prevention into CAD patients’ everyday life (smartphone-guided secondary prevention, SGSP). The app provided a daily 15-minute program that included video-guided exercises, video sessions with background information about CAD, and a tool to record blood pressure and heart rate once a day. The SGSP app was tested with the primary outcome of 28-day adherence. The secondary outcome was a composite of (1) self-reported behavioral changes, (2) gain of knowledge about cardiovascular risk factors, and (3) an increase in quality of life. RESULTS: Of the 66 patients screened, 43 (65%) were included into the study and, of those, 17 (40%) used the app continuously for 28 days. From this group, 14 (82%) were physically more active and ten (59%) improved their dietary habits. Usage of the SGSP app was also associated with a gain of knowledge about cardiovascular risk factors (70% physical activity, 59% healthy diet). CONCLUSION: The regular use of a SGSP app appears to support lifestyle changes in patients with CAD.