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  • Review Article
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The mobile revolution—using smartphone apps to prevent cardiovascular disease

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 12, pages 350–360 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

Key Points

  • Identification of suitable apps that might improve disease risk factors is complicated for users, and the cataloguing of apps needs to improve

  • Regulation of apps by health-care authorities is limited; therefore, finding credible sources is of high importance

  • The use of smartphones is prevalent in high-income countries and predicted to rise in low-income and middle-income countries

  • Smartphone apps have the potential to reduce inequalities in prevention of cardiovascular disease, although some challenges remain, particularly for elderly users

  • Opportunities exist to use apps for prevention of cardiovascular disease throughout the life-course

  • The long period of time required to research apps means that the app might have been superseded by the time that the results of the study are published

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Mobile technology might enable increased access to effective prevention of CVDs. Given the high penetration of smartphones into groups with low socioeconomic status, health-related mobile applications might provide an opportunity to overcome traditional barriers to cardiac rehabilitation access. The huge increase in low-cost health-related apps that are not regulated by health-care policy makers raises three important areas of interest. Are apps developed according to evidenced-based guidelines or on any evidence at all? Is there any evidence that apps are of benefit to people with CVD? What are the components of apps that are likely to facilitate changes in behaviour and enable individuals to adhere to medical advice? In this Review, we assess the current literature and content of existing apps that target patients with CVD risk factors and that can facilitate behaviour change. We present an overview of the current literature on mobile technology as it relates to prevention and management of CVD. We also evaluate how apps can be used throughout all age groups with different CVD prevention needs.

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Figure 1: Number of apps released in a typical research timeline.
Figure 2: Social connectivity to motivate healthy eating.
Figure 3: Making healthy food choices.
Figure 4: An app to educate individuals who have had acute coronary syndrome.

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Acknowledgements

L.N. is funded by an NHMRC early career fellowship (APP1036763). N.L. is funded by a National Heart Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship (PP12S6990). J.R. is funded by a Career Development Fellowship and a Future Leader Fellowship co-funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the National Heart Foundation (APP1061793). E.J.B. is funded by NIH grant 2R01HL092577-05.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sydney Nursing School, Level 2, Building D17, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, 2006, NSW, Australia

    Lis Neubeck

  2. Sydney Medical School, Edward Ford Building (A27), University of Sydney, Camperdown, Sydney, 2206, NSW, Australia

    Nicole Lowres

  3. Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health, The Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mount Wayte Avenue, Suite 2, Framingham, 01702-5827, MA, USA

    Emelia J. Benjamin

  4. Department of Cardiology 3W, Concord Hospital, Hospital Road, Concord, 2139, NSW, Australia

    S. Ben Freedman

  5. The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, Level 10 KGV Building, Missenden Road, Camperdown, 2050, NSW, Australia

    Genevieve Coorey & Julie Redfern

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L.N., N.L., and G.C. researched data for the article. L.N. wrote the manuscript. All the authors revised and edited the manuscript before submission, and approved the version to be published.

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Neubeck, L., Lowres, N., Benjamin, E. et al. The mobile revolution—using smartphone apps to prevent cardiovascular disease. Nat Rev Cardiol 12, 350–360 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2015.34

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