Risk reduction intervention for raised blood pressure (REVERSE). V1

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Risk reduction intervention for raised blood pressure (REVERSE): A feasibility study exploring the use of blood pressure self-monitoring.

  • IRAS ID

    282624

  • Contact name

    Emma P Bray

  • Contact email

    EBray@uclan.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Central Lancashire

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 5 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    Self-monitoring of blood pressure may increase awareness of blood pressure levels and prompt people with raised blood pressure (pre-hypertension) to modify their lifestyle. This research will examine whether self-monitoring is practical and acceptable for people with raised blood pressure and relevant community healthcare providers. Raised blood pressure occurs before the threshold of high blood pressure (hypertension), and although it is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, individuals are not usually made aware of raised blood pressure. By identifying and alerting people to raised blood pressure, an intervention might prevent cardiovascular disease. It may also help health professionals to reduce the cost and workload caused by preventable cardiovascular diseases. We will recruit people from pharmacies, GPs and work-place providers in Lancashire offering the NHS ‘Health Check’. People aged 18+, with raised blood pressure, will be invited to take part. Participants must not have had a diagnosis of high blood pressure, nor have been on blood pressure medications. We will provide equipment for participants to self-monitor their blood pressure at home. They will record two blood pressure readings on three days every month, for six months. We will ask them to complete questionnaires and invite them to take part in an interview to find out if self-monitoring is acceptable to them and to find out about their experiences with self-monitoring, its benefits, any problems they have experienced, and how it might be improved. To find out if self-monitoring is a feasible intervention we will assess the time taken to recruit the target number of eligible people, the number of people who are recruited but who do not complete the study, and whether people check their blood pressure on schedule. This will help decide whether a future larger study is needed, looking at the impact self-monitoring has on people's health, longer-term.

  • REC name

    West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    21/WM/0260

  • Date of REC Opinion

    25 Nov 2021

  • REC opinion

    Unfavourable Opinion