BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HTN) affects millions of Americans. Our Whole Lives: an eHealth toolkit for Hypertension and Cardiac Risk Factors (OWL-H) is an eHealth platform that teaches evidence-based lifestyle strategies, such mindfulness and cooking skills, to improve self-management of HTN. OBJECTIVE: The primary goal of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of OWL-H combined with teaching kitchen medical group visits (TKMGVs) in a low-income population of participants with HTN. METHODS: We conducted a pre-post 8-week study to assess the feasibility of a hybrid program (a web-based 9-module self-management program, which includes mindfulness and Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet) accompanied by 3 in-person TKMGVs among patients with HTN. Data including demographics, platform use, and satisfaction after using OWL-H were examined. Outcome data collected at baseline and 8 weeks included the Mediterranean Diet Questionnaire, Hypertension Self-Care Profile Self-Efficacy Instrument, Blood Pressure Knowledge Questionnaire, and the number of self-reported blood pressure readings. For the statistical analysis, we used descriptive statistics, paired sample t tests (1-tailed), and qualitative methods. RESULTS: Of the 25 enrolled participants, 22 (88%) participants completed the study. Participants' average age was 57 (SD 12.1) years, and 46% (11/24) of them reported a household income < US $30,000 per year. Among the 22 participants who logged in to OWL-H, the average number of mindfulness practices completed was 7 and the average number of module sessions accessed was 4. In all, 73% (16/22) of participants reported that they were "very satisfied" with using OWL-H to help manage their HTN. Participants' blood pressure knowledge significantly increased from baseline (mean 5.58, SD 1.44) to follow-up (mean 6.13, SD 1.23; P=.03). Participants significantly increased their adherence to a Mediterranean diet from baseline (mean 7.65, SD 2.19) to follow-up (mean 9, SD 1.68; P=.004). Participants' self-efficacy in applying heart-healthy habits, as measured by the Hypertension Self-Care Profile Self-Efficacy Instrument, increased from baseline (mean 63.67, SD 9.06) to follow-up (mean 65.54, SD 7.56; P=.14). At the 8-week follow-up, 82% (18/22) of the participants had self-reported their blood pressure on the OWL-H platform at least once during the 8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The eHealth platform for HTN self-management, OWL-H, and accompanying in-person TKMGVs have the potential to effectively improve lifestyle management of HTN. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03974334; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03974334.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HTN) is a leading cause of maternal mortality, and HTN guidelines recommend home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) to help achieve blood pressure (BP) control. Evidence suggests that HBPM be coupled with a care team to maximize its effectiveness. HBPM use and the prevalence of provider counseling in child-bearing age women with HTN are unknown. METHODS: We used data from 3,614 women in the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2009-2014 to determine HBPM use and provider counseling for women of child-bearing age (20-50 years) with and without HTN. HBPM use and provider counseling were self-reported. We examined rates of HBPM use by race/ethnicity, poverty-income ratio (PIR), education, and insurance. RESULTS: Among women of child-bearing age with HTN, the mean (SE) age was 37.0 (0.3) years, the mean (SE) BMI was 35.5 (0.6) kg/m 2, and 73% were on BP medication. Of these women with HTN, 49.6% reported HBPM use in the past year and 40.4% received provider counseling. There was no significant difference in HBPM use by race/ethnicity, PIR, or insurance, though higher education was associated with HBPM use. Women with HTN who received provider counseling were more likely to use HBPM (odds ratio = 15.7, 95% confidence interval 9.1-26.9). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of child-bearing age women with HTN have adopted HBPM, and provider counseling was strongly associated with HBPM use. This highlights a need and opportunity for providers to improve BP management by supporting a popular and valuable monitoring approach among women of child-bearing age with HTN.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension (HTN) in pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States. Contraception is widely used, and estrogen-based combined hormonal forms are known to increase blood pressure (BP). With nearly half of pregnancies unplanned and many antihypertensive medications teratogenic, appropriate contraception is critical in child-bearing age women with HTN. METHODS: Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 2001 to 2018, we evaluated contraception and antihypertensive medication use in women of child-bearing age (20-50 years). Women who had undergone sterilization or menopause were excluded. HTN was defined based on a self-reported provider diagnosis and BP > /=130/80 mm Hg or antihypertensive medication use. Contraception included non-barrier methods (pills/patch/ring, injections, long-acting reversible contraceptives) or consistent condom use. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model the odds of contraception use. Temporal trends in contraception use were reported. RESULTS: Of the 8726 women, 12.4% had HTN with mean age (standard error) 36.0 (0.3) years. In women with HTN, 9.2% used non-barrier contraception and 10.4% used condoms only. Over half (52.7%) of women with HTN on antihypertensive medications were taking medications contraindicated in pregnancy, with no difference seen by contraceptive status. In logistic regression models, contraceptive use was lower in the older-aged women. In women with HTN on non-barrier contraception, combined hormonal contraceptive use declined, from 100% (2001-2006) to 81.4% (2013-2018, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Many women with self-reported HTN are not using adequate contraception. Of the small proportion on non-barrier contraceptives, the majority are using estrogen-based, BP-raising methods.

BACKGROUND: Participation in ambulatory cardiac rehabilitation remains low, especially among older adults. Although mobile health cardiac rehabilitation (mHealth-CR) provides a novel opportunity to deliver care, age-specific impairments may limit older adults' uptake, and efficacy data are currently lacking. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the design of the rehabilitation using mobile health for older adults with ischemic heart disease in the home setting (RESILIENT) trial. METHODS: RESILIENT is a multicenter randomized clinical trial that is enrolling patients aged > /=65 years with ischemic heart disease in a 3:1 ratio to either an intervention (mHealth-CR) or control (usual care) arm, with a target sample size of 400 participants. mHealth-CR consists of a commercially available mobile health software platform coupled with weekly exercise therapist sessions to review progress and set new activity goals. The primary outcome is a change in functional mobility (6-minute walk distance), which is measured at baseline and 3 months. Secondary outcomes are health status, goal attainment, hospital readmission, and mortality. Among intervention participants, engagement with the mHealth-CR platform will be analyzed to understand the characteristics that determine different patterns of use (eg, persistent high engagement and declining engagement). RESULTS: As of December 2021, the RESILIENT trial had enrolled 116 participants. Enrollment is projected to continue until October 2023. The trial results are expected to be reported in 2024. CONCLUSIONS: The RESILIENT trial will generate important evidence about the efficacy of mHealth-CR among older adults in multiple domains and characteristics that determine the sustained use of mHealth-CR. These findings will help design future precision medicine approaches to mobile health implementation in older adults. This knowledge is especially important in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that has shifted much of health care to a remote, internet-based setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03978130; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03978130. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/32163.

Background: Telemedicine and commercial wearable devices capable of detecting atrial fibrillation (AF) have revolutionized arrhythmia care during coronavirus disease 2019. However, not much is known about virtual patient-provider interactions or device sharing behaviors. Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize how participants with or at risk of AF are engaging with their providers in the context of telemedicine and using commercially wearable devices to manage their health. Methods: We developed a survey to describe participant behaviors around telemedicine encounters and commercial wearable device use. The survey was distributed to participants diagnosed with AF or those at risk of AF (as determined by being at least 65 years old and having a CHA2DS2-VASc stroke risk score of > 2) in the University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care system. Results: The survey was distributed to 23,530 patients, and there were 1222 (5.19%) participant responses. Among the participants, 327 (26.8%) had AF and 895 (73.2%) were at risk of AF. Neither device ownership nor device type use differed by AF status. After adjusting for covariates that may influence surveyed participant communication patterns, we found that participants with AF were more likely to share their wearable device-derived data with providers (adjusted odds ratio 1.87; 95% confidence interval 1.02-3.41). Rates of sharing physical activity or sleep data were low for both groups and did not differ by AF status. Conclusion: Compared with participants at risk of developing AF, those with AF were more likely to share heart rate and rhythm data from their commercial wearable devices with providers. However, both groups had similar rates of sharing physical activity and sleep data, telemedicine engagement, and technology use and ownership.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension in pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States. Although the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is recommended for all adults with hypertension, rates of DASH adherence and anti-hypertensive medications use in women of child-bearing age is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To determine DASH adherence and anti-hypertensive medication use in women of child-bearing age. METHODS: In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2001-2016, we estimated DASH adherence among women of child-bearing age (20-50 years). We derived a DASH score (0-9) based on 9 nutrients, with DASH adherence defined as DASH score > /=4.5. Hypertension was defined by blood pressure (BP) > /=130/80 mm Hg or anti-hypertensive medication use. DASH scores were compared across BP categories and anti-hypertensive medication use was categorized. RESULTS: Of the 7782 women, the mean age (SE) was 32.8 (0.2) years, 21.4% were non-Hispanic Black, and 20.3% had hypertension. The mean DASH score was 2.11 (0.06) for women with self-reported hypertension and 2.40 (0.03) for women with normal BP (P < 0.001). DASH adherence was prevalent in 6.5% of women with self-reported hypertension compared to 10.1% of women with normal BP (P < 0.05). Self-reported hypertension is predominantly managed with medications (84.8%), while DASH-adherence has not improved in these women from 2001-2016. Moreover, 39.5% of US women of child-bearing age are taking medications contraindicated in pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Given the benefits of optimized BP during pregnancy, this study highlights the critical need to improve DASH adherence and guide prescribing among women of child-bearing age.