PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sally M. Kerry
AU  - Hugh S. Markus
AU  - Teck K. Khong
AU  - Geoffrey C. Cloud
AU  - Jenny Tulloch
AU  - Denise Coster
AU  - Judith Ibison
AU  - Pippa Oakeshott
TI  - Home blood pressure monitoring with nurse-led telephone support among patients with hypertension and a history of stroke: a community-based randomized controlled trial
AID  - 10.1503/cmaj.120832
DP  - 2013 Jan 08
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 23--31
VI  - 185
IP  - 1
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/185/1/23.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/185/1/23.full
SO  - CMAJ2013 Jan 08; 185
AB  - Background: Adequate control of blood pressure reduces the risk of recurrent stroke. We conducted a randomized controlled study to determine whether home blood pressure monitoring with nurse-led telephone support would reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension and a history of stroke.Methods: We recruited 381 participants (mean age 72 years) from outpatient and inpatient stroke clinics between Mar. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2009. Nearly half (45%, 170) of the participants had some disability due to stroke. Participants were visited at home for a baseline assessment and randomly allocated to home blood pressure monitoring (n = 187) or usual care (n = 194). Those in the intervention group were given a monitor, brief training and telephone support. Participants who had home blood pressure readings consistently over target (target < 130/80 mm Hg) were advised to consult their family physician. The main outcome measure was a fall in systolic blood pressure after 12 months, measured by an independent researcher unaware of group allocation.Results: Despite more patients in the intervention group than in the control group having changes to antihypertensive treatment during the trial period (60.1% [98/163] v. 47.6% [78/164], p = 0.02), the fall in systolic blood pressure from baseline did not differ significantly between the groups (adjusted mean difference 0.3 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval –3.6 to 4.2 mm Hg). Subgroup analysis showed significant interaction with disability due to stroke (p = 0.03 at 6 months) and baseline blood pressure (p = 0.03 at 12 months).Interpretation: Overall, home monitoring did not improve blood pressure control in patients with hypertension and a history of stroke. It was associated with a fall in systolic pressure in patients who had uncontrolled blood pressure at baseline and those without disability due to stroke. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT00514800See related commentary by Dawes and colleagues on page 11 and at www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.121819