NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2019 - 9

SUMMER/FALL 2019

H

eart disease is the number one killer
in America and worldwide. Many
risk factors and conditions contribute to heart disease including hypertension,
hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, smoking and
obesity. Prevention of disease progression
is the cornerstone of limiting cardiovascular risk. As technology improves, existing
science and medical advancements lead to
innovative opportunities to treat disease and
limit its progression. Traditional medicine
takes the approach taught in medical school,
and refines that into daily practice. Although
medical technology is constantly evolving,
it is important not to forget the holistic
approach to disease burden, especially as it
relates to cardiovascular disease. Integrative
medicine, specifically Integrative Cardiology,
blends these ideals together.

What is Integrative
Medicine?
Integrative medicine is patient-centered; which addresses the physical,
emotional, mental, social, environmental and spiritual influences that affect
the overall health of the patient. It is a
philosophy of medicine that is defined
by a physician-patient compact that
establishes a partnership as a healing
unit. Integrative Medicine is grounded on
a set of principles: All factors including
emotional, social, spiritual, and physical
influence and factor into the overall
health, wellness, and disease process.
Providers (Physicians) base the patient's
treatment and interventions on evidence
proven science, encourage natural and less
invasive modalities of treatment when
possible, and use all healing sciences to
facilitate the patient's optimal response to
treatment. They also promote illness prevention by establishing lines of inquiry to
broaden paradigms of health promotion.
Integrative medicine is not alternative
medicine or complementary medicine.
These other modalities of healing are
approaches that do not utilize allopathic
or traditional models of care.
Integrative Medicine fosters development
of healthy skills and behaviors to encourage
patients' self-care.

Encouraging "Food as Medicine" is
a powerful and proven method to
halting and potentially reversing the
progression of disease.

What is Cardiology?
Cardiology is a specialty of medicine which
focuses on disease processes affecting the heart
and blood vessels. The majority of patients with
cardiovascular disease also have underlying
chronic conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus,
Hypercholesterolemia, and Hypertension.
These conditions are considered diseases of
lifestyle related to high risk behaviors such as
smoking, alcohol consumption, consumption
of foods high in starches, fats, and carbohydrates, as well as lack of physical exercise.

What is Integrative
Cardiology and is it
the future?
Integrative Cardiology is the future of
Cardiology. With the ever escalating cost of
medical care and hospitalization, creating
and implementing strategies to keep patients
healthy and at home is imperative. Combining
the principles of Integrative medicine and
Cardiology may provide the perfect solution.
Integrative Cardiology's three pronged
approach may be the future of preventative intervention.
First, encouraging wellness improves vitality in patients. Patient wellness is important
to improving exercise and compliance with
medications. If a patient does not believe
in himself or herself, he or she will not be
motivated to change behaviors. Stress and
anger are major risk factors for heart disease.
Dealing with negative feelings raises one's
risk for heart disease and lowers overall
wellness. Encouraging patients to exercise,
attend yoga classes, or explore acupuncture
helps to improve wellness. Even as little as
offering healing touch promotes positivity.
To patients, exercise goals should be achievable and realistic. Furthermore, looking
beyond physical symptoms and addressing
emotional or environmental triggers is a
way to lower risk and avoid a medical event.
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VITAL SIGNS

Second, encouraging "Food as Medicine"
is a powerful and proven method to halting
and potentially reversing the progression of
disease. Proper nutrition improves energy,
vitality, and wellness. Eating dark green leafy
plant-based meals, eliminating excess carbohydrates, decreasing salt intake to less than
2 grams daily, reducing unnecessary animal
proteins and restricting desserts and highly
processed foods to "once in a blue moon"
is an imperative step. It is valuable to make
specific dietary recommendations. Lowering
systemic inflammation, by eating foods which
enhance energy whilst lowering destructive
macro and microvascular interactions in
our bodies, improves the way patient's feel.
Lastly, focusing on reducing disease burden is essential. Continuing medications
to improve blood pressure, hyperlipidemia
and diabetes is imperative. Encouraging
weight reduction for patients with metabolic
syndrome or obesity, while offering proven
supplements like Turmeric and Omega-3
Fish Oils to help limit inflammation, support
lowering disease burden. Treating chronic
disease with conventional medications,
while also supplementing and encouraging
patients to take natural supplements which
are evidence based, lead to improving optimal response to treatment.
Integrative Cardiology allows for a holistic
approach to heart disease, which remains
the leading cause of death in America and
worldwide. Integrative Cardiology emphasizes mind-body connection that links
proper nutrition, improved wellness and
patient-centered care in an effort to reduce
disease burden.
TAPAN BUCH, MD, MSC1,
Internal Medicine Resident Wright
Center for Graduate Medical Education
NEPA Vital Signs - Summer Fall 2019

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