Using mobile health technology to help teens with familial hypercholesterolemia take their statin medication
Official title: The Use of Mobile Health Technology and Behavioral Economics to Encourage Adherence to Statins in Adolescents with Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Funded at Boston Children's Hospital · NIH-10685374 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how using mobile health apps can help teenagers with high cholesterol from their families remember to take their medication regularly, by finding fun and motivating ways to encourage them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2019 |
| Project end | July 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $169,880 |
| NIH project number | 5K23HL145109-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10685374 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents aged 12 to 20 who have been diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have familial hypercholesterolemia or are outside the age range of 12 to 20 may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how mobile health technology can encourage adolescents with familial hypercholesterolemia to adhere to their statin medication. By applying principles from behavioral economics, the study aims to create effective incentives that motivate teens to take their medication regularly. The approach includes a randomized crossover trial to test the efficacy of these interventions, as well as focus groups to understand the barriers these adolescents face in adhering to their treatment. The goal is to improve health outcomes and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in this population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve medication adherence among adolescents with familial hypercholesterolemia, leading to better health outcomes and reduced cardiovascular risks.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using behavioral economics and mobile health technologies to improve medication adherence, suggesting that this approach could be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hartz, Jacob — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Hartz, Jacob
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Using behavioral nudges to improve family screening for inherited high cholesterol
This project uses two patient-facing approaches based on behavioral economics to help people with familial hypercholesterolemia get their relatives screened for the condition.
-
Improving Risk Stratification for Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH)
A patient-facing look at a study that aims to better predict who with familial hypercholesterolemia is at highest risk for early heart disease.
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Nonviral CRISPR-Cas9 delivery to liver cells to treat familial hypercholesterolemia
A new approach uses nonviral methods to deliver CRISPR-Cas9 to liver cells and select edited cells with acetaminophen, aiming to permanently lower bad cholesterol in people with familial hypercholesterolemia.
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Implementing multi-component approaches to help blood donors with familial hypercholesterolemia(
A program to help people who donate blood and have familial hypercholesterolemia get the cholesterol-lowering treatment they need through a blood-donation center.
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Helping families find and treat inherited high cholesterol
This project tests a clinic-based program to help primary care doctors find and treat children and adults with inherited high cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia).
-
Familial hypercholesterolemia: closing gaps in prevention of heart disease
A new NIH grant is exploring why people with familial hypercholesterolemia often go undiagnosed or receive uneven care, with the goal of improving early detection and prevention of heart disease.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.