Do heart texts improve lifestyle adherence?

A text-and-internet cardiac rehab program improved short-term lifestyle adherence after CHD, but the benefit faded by 6 months.

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What clinical condition was Text4Heart designed to support?

Coronary heart disease self-management after cardiac events, as an adjunct to cardiac rehabilitation goals.

Why do digital CR programs matter for service delivery?

Traditional CR participation is under 50% in many countries, including New Zealand.

How many participants were randomized, and to which arms?

123 eligible adults—61 to Text4Heart and 62 to control.

What happened to lifestyle adherence at 3 months?

Intervention participants had higher odds of adherence (AOR 2.55, P=.03).

Was the lifestyle benefit sustained at 6 months?

No—the adjusted odds ratio at 6 months was not statistically significant.

How did medication adherence differ?

The intervention group had a significantly higher medication adherence score (mean difference 0.58).

Did participants need study-supplied phones?

No—all intervention participants used their own mobile phones.

What lipid finding was reported at 6 months?

LDL cholesterol was lower with intervention (mean difference –0.25) but did not meet the significance threshold used.

What was the study's stated aim?

To test whether Text4Heart improves adherence to recommended lifestyle behaviours.

What delivery channel defined the intervention?

Text message and internet support for CHD self-management.

What limitation do the authors emphasize for clinical endpoints?

A larger study with longer follow-up is needed to see whether behaviour changes yield clinically significant outcomes.