Digital Health Strategies and Innovations for Cardiovascular Prevention

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for approximately 17.9 million deaths annually. Despite advances in pharmacotherapy and lifestyle medicine, a substantial proportion of high-risk adults are frequently under-managed due to limited specialist access, poor long-term adherence to preventive regimens, and insufficient real-time health monitoring. The rapid proliferation of digital health technologies — including smartphone-based applications (mHealth), wearable biosensors, remote patient monitoring (RPM) platforms, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven clinical decision support — has created an unprecedented opportunity to extend preventive cardiology beyond the clinic. Digital health strategies also present opportunities to improve population-level cardiovascular surveillance, expand preventive outreach into community settings, and address persistent disparities in cardiovascular outcomes. However, evidence on the clinical effectiveness, scalability, and equitable implementation of these tools remains fragmented, underscoring the need for a focused synthesis of emerging research in this domain. This Research Topic aims to consolidate and advance knowledge on digital health interventions for cardiovascular risk reduction at individual and population levels. We seek to address four unresolved questions central to the field: which digital modalities most effectively improve cardiometabolic risk factors; how AI and machine learning algorithms can be validated for CVD risk prediction and management; what implementation strategies support equitable adoption across diverse populations; and how wearable and remote monitoring data can be meaningfully integrated into standard clinical workflows. The research topic also seeks to advance dissemination and implementation strategies that support sustainable adoption of digital cardiovascular prevention tools across healthcare and community settings. We particularly encourage submissions addressing underserved communities and low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. By bringing together original research, systematic reviews, and perspective pieces, this will serve as a reference for clinicians, public health professionals, technology developers, and policymakers seeking evidence-based guidance on deploying digital tools for primary and secondary CVD prevention. Suitable themes for manuscripts include, but are not limited to:• Sub theme 1: mHealth applications for blood pressure and lipid management, e.g. Do smartphone-based self-monitoring apps improve adherence to antihypertensive therapy compared to usual care?• Sub theme 2: Wearable biosensors for continuous cardiovascular monitoring, e.g. How accurately do consumer-grade wearables detect atrial fibrillation, and what are the clinical implications of incidental detection?• Sub theme 3: AI and machine learning for CVD risk prediction, e.g. Can deep learning models trained on EHR data outperform traditional risk scores (e.g. Framingham, SCORE2) in underrepresented populations? • Sub theme 4: Remote patient monitoring and telehealth for secondary prevention, e.g. What is the impact of structured RPM programs on 30-day hospital readmission rates following acute myocardial infarction?• Sub theme 5: Digital behavior-change interventions for physical activity and diet, e.g. How do gamification and personalized feedback loops in fitness apps influence long-term adherence to cardioprotective behaviors?• Sub theme 6: Equity, access, and digital health literacy in underserved populations, e.g. What structural and socioeconomic barriers limit the uptake of digital CVD prevention tools among older adults, rural communities, and LMIC populations?• Sub theme 7: Data privacy, security, and regulatory frameworks, e.g. How do GDPR, HIPAA, and emerging national frameworks shape the design and deployment of AI-enabled cardiac monitoring platforms?• Sub theme 8: Integration of digital tools into clinical pathways and health systems, e.g. What implementation science frameworks best support the embedding of wearable-derived data into existing cardiovascular outpatient workflows?• Sub theme 9: Healthcare workforce integration and clinician adoption of digital prevention tools, e.g. What challenges impact healthcare professionals’ ability to support uptake and sustained use of digital cardiovascular prevention technologies?• Sub theme 10: Policy implications, e.g. How have changes in telehealth and RPM reimbursement policy affected the adoption of digital cardiovascular prevention programs in real-world health systems? Topic editors: Marva Foster, Anna G. Etchin, Jennifer Viveiros Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82065/digital-health-strategies-and-innovations-for-cardiovascular-prevention