Design and rationale of penn medicine healthy heart, a randomized trial of effectiveness of a centrally organized approach to blood pressure and cholesterol improvement among patients at elevated risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Rationales

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Suboptimal control of hypertension and hyperlipidemia are common factors contributing to ASCVD risk. The Penn Medicine Healthy Heart (PMHH) Study is a randomized clinical trial testing the effectiveness of a system designed to offload work from primary care clinicians and improve patient follow-through with risk reduction strategies by using a centralized team of nonclinical navigators and advanced practice providers, remote monitoring, and bi-directional text messaging, augmented by behavioral science engagement strategies. The intervention builds on prior nonrandomized evaluations of these design elements that demonstrated significant improvement in patients’ systolic blood pressure and LDL Cholesterol (LDL-C).

Primary Hypothesis

Penn Medicine Healthy Heart will significantly improve systolic blood pressure and LDL-C compared to usual care over the 6 months of this intervention.

Design

Randomized clinical trial of Penn Medicine Healthy Heart in patients aged 35-80 years at elevated risk of ASCVD whose systolic blood pressure and LDL-C are not well controlled. The intervention consists of 4 modules that address blood pressure management, lipid management, nutrition, and smoking cessation, offered in a phased approach to give the participant time to learn about each topic, adopt any recommendations, and build a relationship with the care team.

Sites

University of Pennsylvania Health System at primary care practices located in inner-city urban and rural/semi-rural areas.

Primary Outcomes

Improvement in systolic blood pressure and LDL-C.

Secondary Outcomes

Cost-effectiveness analyses are planned to evaluate the health care costs and health outcomes of the intervention approach. An implementation evaluation is planned to understand factors influencing success of the intervention.

Estimated Enrollment

2,420 active patients of Penn Medicine primary care practices who have clinical ASCVD, or who are at elevated risk for ASCVD, and who are (a) not on statins or have LDL-C >100 despite being on statins and (b) had systolic blood pressure >140 at 2 recent ambulatory visits.

Enrollment Dates

March 2024-March 2025. The intervention will last 6 months with a 12-month follow-up to determine whether its effects persist.

Current Status

Enrolling (1,240 enrolled as of August 15, 2024)

Clinical Trial Registration

NCT06062394