Relationships Between Blood Pressure Reduction, Weight Loss, and Engagement in a Digital App–Based Hypertension Care Program: Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Home blood pressure (BP) monitoring is recommended for people with hypertension; however, meta-analyses have demonstrated that BP improvements are related to additional coaching support in combination with self-monitoring, with little or no effect of self-monitoring alone. High-contact coaching requires substantial resources and may be difficult to deliver via human coaching models. Objective: This observational study assessed changes in BP and body weight following participation in a fully digital program called Lark Hypertension Care with coaching powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Methods: Participants (N=864) had a baseline systolic BP (SBP) ≥120 mm Hg, provided their baseline body weight, and had reached at least their third month in the program. The primary outcome was the change in SBP at 3 and 6 months, with secondary outcomes of change in body weight and associations of changes in SBP and body weight with participant demographics, characteristics, and program engagement. Results: By month 3, there was a significant drop of –5.4 mm Hg (95% CI –6.5 to –4.3; P