Contemp Clin Trials. 2026 Apr 12:108314. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2026.108314. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: High blood pressure (BP) significantly increases the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Most adults with hypertension live in South Asia, yet only a small proportion have controlled BP. Patient-focused strategies are needed to improve BP control. Although digital health interventions, such as text messaging show promise, they remain underexplored in India. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of a text-messaging intervention to reduce BP in patients with uncontrolled hypertension.
METHODS: This will be a prospective, randomized open-label trial with blinded endpoint assessment (PROBE) among patients with uncontrolled hypertension recruited from a tertiary-care public hospital setting in India. Eligible participants will be randomized to receive either tailored text messaging intervention or usual care. The intervention will include daily SMS medication reminders delivered in local language for three months, and weekly BP-focused health education message. Participants in the control arm will continue to receive standard hypertension care as advised by their treating physician. All randomized participants will be followed up at three-months for outcome assessment. Primary outcome measures include differences in systolic-BP and medication adherence at three months between intervention and control arm as assessed by mean change from baseline.
DISCUSSION: The novelty of the present study lies in the utilization of text messages as a simple intervention for antihypertensive medication reminders and health education to reduce high BP. This is an innovative approach to engage patients in a country with a high disease burden and significant mHealth potential.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered with the Clinical Trial Registry of India with reference number CTRI/2025/04/086053.
PMID:41980662 | DOI:10.1016/j.cct.2026.108314