INFO BP

The prevalence of prehypertension among adolescents is on the increase and underdiagnosed. This condition continues into adult hypertension wherein young adults and youth, who constitute one of the precious resources of India, suffer from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders even before the age of 45 or 40 years. This leads to severe morbidity and mortality which in turn causes a heavy socioeconomic burden on society. Due to the asymptomatic nature of the condition, the prevalence of prehypertension is likely underreported. It is associated with a greater likelihood of developing hypertension and doubles the risk of cardiovascular events. The early identification of prehypertension enables active management of blood pressure by devising preventive strategies thereby decreasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The growing population in India and the increase in risk factors make primary prevention a crucial strategy to curtail this epidemic.

Keeping in view of the gravity of the problem, the INFOBP mobile app is designed and developed as a research intervention for the participants of the research, identified to be prehypertensives belonging to the experimental group. It comprises information regarding prehypertension, risk factors for prehypertension, lifestyle modifications including the DASH diet, exercise, sleep, and yoga for the prevention and control of prehypertension along with details on the complications of prehypertension. The experimental group will be monitored for adherence to lifestyle practices every 15 days through this app and the non-responders will be sent reinforcement and reminder messages. A message of encouragement will be sent to all the participants of the experimental group every 15 days to continue practicing the lifestyle practices advised.

The overall aim of designing this app is to contribute to the achievement of SDG Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. If prehypertension is identified earlier when the adults are asymptomatic, suitable measures can be taken by them to bring down their blood pressure (BP) to normal, thereby preventing or delaying themselves from becoming hypertensive in the future. The information provided in the app may enable the participants in the active management of blood pressure by devising preventive strategies thereby maintaining optimum cardiovascular health.