BENGALURU: An Oxford University led study, working with the University of Cape Town in South Africa, has found that text message reminders can help reduce people’s blood pressure.

The study, of over 1300 adults with high blood pressure in the Cape Town area, compared text message reminders and interactive text messaging to a control group receiving standard care. The results appear online in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

Professor Andrew Farmer, from Oxford’s Department of Primary Health Care Sciences explained: 'High blood pressure is a common condition that can be managed successfully with tablets. Yet, even in health systems where that medication is freely available, people can struggle to keep taking the tablets regularly.

'Two common issues are not turning up to collect medicine – so running out – or forgetting to take tablets. We knew that text messages had worked to support people with HIV/Aids to stick to their treatment and improve their health as a result. We wanted to see whether the messages could work for blood pressure treatment in a deprived community.'

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