Text me healthy
Have you gone for your walk today? Have you been eating enough vegetables? Have you had your blood pressure checked recently?
These may sound like the questions of a nosey parent, but they have actually proved successful in reducing the risk factors for a second heart attack in patients who have previously had one.
The best part about the study? Those questions came in the form of text messages.
It’s the result of a new study from the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, which sent messages to patients who had had a heart attack over a six month period.
Respondents reported having lower cholesterol, weight and blood pressure. They were also more likely to do exercise.
Is this the future of healthcare?
We spoke to Clara Chow, the Director of Cardiovascular Division at the George Institute and Cardiologist at Westmead Hospital, to find out more.
Image: N i c o l a on Flickr.
