Dive Brief:
- At the recent 65th annual American College of Cardiology meeting, Proteus Digital Health presented the results of an interim study involving uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia patients at high risk for cardiovascular events of its Proteus Discover system that measures medication-taking and physiology.
- Almost half of the studied patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes had failed to achieve treatment goals due to medication non-adherence, poor patient engagement, or lack of treatment optimization, according to Proteus.
- Study results showed patients who used Proteus Discover had a statistically greater reduction in blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL) - both risk factors for cardiovascular events.
Dive Insight:
The study included 96 patients with uncontrolled hypertension and type 2 diabetes who had previously failed at least two anti-hypertensive medications plus metformin and/or sulfonylurea.
Proteus Discover was used for either 4 or 12 weeks, or subjects received usual care.
After 4 weeks, 85% of patients using Proteus Discover and 33% receiving usual care achieved their blood pressure target. In addition, LDL changes were improved for those using the digital medicine.
Final results will be published later this year.
Proteus Discover includes an ingestible sensor the size of a grain of sand that is activated when it reaches the stomach. The sensor sends a signal to a sensor patch worn by the patient that records the time of ingestion as well as heart rate, physical activity, and rest.
A mobile app allows the patient to review the data and the physician can access them via an online portal. The data can serve to adjust and optimize the patient's treatment.
According to the company's website, lack of medication adherence and effective treatment leads to uncontrolled disease and cost the U.S. healthcare system $290 billion in 2009.