Online treatment beneficial to heart disease patients | BMJ

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Patients with vascular disease such as angina and heart disease can benefit from including an internet-based treatment programme on top of usual care, a study published on bmj.com suggests.

Researchers from the University Medical Center Utrecht in The Netherlands, therefore carried out a randomised controlled trial to assess whether including an internet-based programme would be effective in reducing vascular risk factors in patients with the disease.

The internet-based programme included a personalised website, mail communication via the website with a nurse practitioner, self-management support, monitoring of disease control and pharmacotherapy. The study lasted 12 months and included 330 participants.

Results show that after one year, Framingham Heart Scores had fallen 12% further among patients who took part in the internet-based programme, compared with controls. The Framingham Heart Score represents the predicted 10-years risk for coronary heart disease and is developed for patients free of vascular disease.

See on www.bmj.com