A Randomized Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Tele-Follow-Up Compared With Standard Follow-Up in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angioplasty and Stenting: A Six-Month Study at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Authors

Kishan Mavani, Barun Kumar, Ravi Kant, Vijay Krishnan, Meenu Singh

Published in

Cureus. Volume 18. Issue 8. Pages e114865. Epub Aug 20, 2026.

Abstract

Background Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), recurrent cardiovascular events remain common due to gaps in secondary prevention and long-term follow-up. Telemedicine offers a potential solution by improving access to care, patient engagement, and risk-factor monitoring. Methods This single-center, open-label randomized controlled trial included 106 patients undergoing PCI at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh, India, who were randomized 1:1 to structured tele-follow-up (WhatsApp, SMS, and audio/video consultations) or standard outpatient follow-up. Of these, 100 participants completed follow-up and were included in the available-case analysis. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) assessed at prespecified one-, three-, and six-month follow-up assessments. Secondary outcomes included medication adherence, lipid control, blood pressure control, glycemic control, lifestyle modification, and hospital readmissions. Results The mean age was 55.5 ± 9.2 years, and 88% were male. MACE rates were comparable between groups throughout follow-up (p > 0.05). Tele-follow-up achieved significantly lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels at one month (69.72 vs. 87.08 mg/dL, p = 0.003) and at six months (53.90 vs. 63.58 mg/dL, p = 0.014). Blood pressure control was generally comparable between groups, with an isolated lower diastolic blood pressure in the tele-follow-up group at one month that was not sustained at subsequent follow-up. Medication adherence was ≥94% in both groups throughout follow-up. No significant differences were observed in HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, bleeding events, stent failure, or mortality. Conclusions Structured tele-follow-up after PCI was feasible, with observed short-term clinical outcomes comparable to standard follow-up. It was associated with better lipid control, while blood pressure control was broadly similar between the groups. Tele-follow-up may therefore be a practical and scalable follow-up strategy after PCI, particularly in resource-limited settings. Larger multicenter studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm its impact on clinical outcomes.

PMID:
42763699
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 20 Sep 2026.

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