It's a statistic West Virginians have heard all too often: our state has the highest incidence of coronary heart disease of any state. While this is well known, what is not known is what can be done about it. This situation has changed with St. Mary's Medical Center's addition of a unique program to supplement conventional treatment of heart disease.
The renowned Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease is offered to medically qualified individuals in the Huntington area.
An Innovative, Proven Alternative
The Ornish Program is designed to provide people suffering from coronary artery disease (CAD) with a treatment option that may reduce the need for bypass surgery or angioplasty. The Ornish Program is also for men and women with risk factors for developing heart disease, such as high serum cholesterol, high blood pressure and a strong family history of heart disease.
The Program is the result of studies conducted over two decades by Dean Ornish, M.D., president and founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute. Dr. Ornish and his colleagues have demonstrated that comprehensive lifestyle improvements in nutrition, exercise, stress management and group support can improve blood flow to the heart.
The results of Dr. Ornish's studies have been reported in the Lancet, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and other respected, peer reviewed medical publications.
Dr. Ornish is among the best-known researchers of heart disease in the United States and is the author of the best-sellers, Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease and Eat More, Weigh Less. His pioneering work in arresting and even reversing heart disease has been featured in national media including, the New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, Dateline NBC, and the PBS science series Nova.
Changing Self-Destructive Lifestyles
The Ornish Program targets three primary groups:
Men and women who are contemplating bypass surgery or angioplasty but are seeking an option that may reduce the need for these procedures;
Patients who have previously experienced one or more heart procedures and want to minimize the chances of repeating the process; and
People with significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high serum cholesterol, high blood pressure and strong family history of heart disease
The objectives of the program are:
Reduction of blockages in coronary arteries;
Improvement of blood flow through the heart;
Reduction in chest pain (angina);
Reduction in serum cholesterol levels; and
Improvement in exercise capacity, sense of well-being and satisfaction with life
The Program requires a minimum one-year commitment and is designed to address one or more key risk factors tied to the onset and development of coronary artery disease. Participants are screened and approved following consultation with family primary care physicians and cardiologists and are taught to adopt a very low-fat vegetarian diet (less than 10 percent of daily calories from fat), increase their physical activity level, handle stress more effectively, and cope with related emotional issues that lead to or result from heart disease.
St. Mary's Dean Ornish Program staff includes a registered dietician, exercise physiologist, stress management instructor, behavioral health clinician, nurse case manager, Program administrator and medical director. All participants remain under the care of their physicians, who will receive regular progress reports.
Proven Success
The ability of the Ornish Program to improve the health of participants is well-documented.
In a landmark study conducted by Dr. Ornish, 78 percent of Program participants were able to avoid bypass surgery or angioplasty. Approximately 500 people have participated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield's Program since 1997. That group achieved statistically significant reductions in all risk categories, including angina, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, weight and body fat, as well as in key perceived measurements of stress, hostility and depression. Participants also demonstrated more than a 20 percent improvement in both exercise and oxygen capacities.
Cost Benefits
The Ornish Program also provides significant cost benefits by enabling participants to avoid invasive procedures. A cost study conducted by Highmark found that the Program saved an average of more than $17,000 per participant - a conservative estimate that did not include the cost of avoided heart attacks, medication or cardiac rehabilitation.
For More Information
Individuals interested in applying for the Program, and primary care physicians and cardiologists with qualified candidates, should call St. Mary's Medical Center's Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease office at 304-526-1253.
