Study: higi stations improve blood pressure outcomes

CHICAGO — Health station company higi on Wednesday released the findings of a nearly three-year study that found a significant relationship between lowered blood pressure and an incentive-based program based on regular monitoring.

 

"A blood pressure reading is a vital health measure that most people understand and know how to monitor easily when given the tools to do so. When this behavior is encouraged through rewards and challenges, individuals have a powerful opportunity to hardwire healthy habits in their everyday lives," stated Khan Siddiqui, chief technology officer and chief medical officer at higi.

 

Higi reviewed de-identified historic data for users who opted in to join higi and analyzed the impacts of its system of rewards and challenges on 159,000 hypertensive users nationwide from September 2012 to April 2015. This included activity across higi's network of retail-based ambulatory health stations, mobile app and web portal. 

 

Nearly half lowered their systolic blood pressure to below 140 mmHg, the cut-off for high blood pressure according to AHA. Both men and women across all age brackets saw lowered blood pressure over the course of the study. And patients logging in five or more times per month showed an average drop in Systolic BP of 17 mmHg and an average drop in Diastolic BP of 9 mmHg, with more than 80% seeing any reduction in their BP, and nearly half reaching BP range below hypertensive.

 

Participants in the study were higi users who had an average age of 49 with their first blood pressure measurement in the hypertensive range. As many as 58% of participants were men. Nearly half were obese.

 

"Our study bears out the notion that access, awareness and incentives, if designed and executed effectively, can have a positive impact on individual health," Siddiqui said. 

 

The findings of the large-scale study were presented at the recent American Heart Association's Council on Hypertension 2015 Scientific Sessions.

 

Higi's health station network has grown to almost 10,000 units in pharmacies, groceries and other retail outlets nationwide, putting a higi station within 5 miles of 75% of the U.S. population. In addition, higi's online health communities enable higi users to track their statistics, take challenges and engage with others to improve their health.