West Virginia has the No. 1 incidence rate of heart disease per capita in the United States. The Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease, being offered at 10 hospitals in West Virginia, is changing that.
Ornish revealed outstanding results achieved by West Virginians who participated in this lifestyle change program during a press conference Friday, Feb. 28, at West VirginiaUniversity. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., was also on hand to share the good news with his constituents. As a supporter of the Ornish program, Rockefeller was pleased that now even more West Virginians can participate by being a part of the Medicare Lifestyle Modification Program Demonstration.
This Medicare Demonstration Project has been developed by the Centers for Medicare&Medicaid Services to determine if a comprehensive lifestyle program such as the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease is a cost-effective alternative to customary medical treatments for eligible Medicare patients. The inclusion criteria were recently expanded to cover a larger cross section of the Medicare population diagnosed with heart disease. This demonstration is being offered at the 10 West Virginia hospitals listed below and attached.
“The results of the participants in West Virginia are the best achieved so far,”Ornish said.”Once again we have proven that simple lifestyle changes can cause dramatic quality of life improvements.”
MountainState Blue Cross Blue Shield was instrumental in the development and success of the program in West Virginia. The West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency was also a key early supporter of the program.
West Virginia is the first state to establish the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease in such a unique manner. By entering the partnership arrangement with 10 hospitals across the state, Mountain State Blue Cross Blue Shield was able to promote access to virtually all the citizens of West Virginia. MountainState Blue Cross Blue Shield, in conjunction with Lifestyle Advantage (from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Pittsburgh) and the West Virginia Governors Wellness Conference has also played a significant role in publicizing the very positive results of the program.
“We are extremely pleased with the overall results of the program to date,”said Gregory K. Smith, Mountain State Blue Cross Blue Shield president and chief executive officer.”We are also pleased and appreciative of the efforts of the 10 hospitals and the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency for their hard work and support. Most importantly however, we are proud to be associated with a program that is committed to improving the quality of life and health status for all West Virginians.”
West Virginians who participated in the program:
Increased their weekly exercise by 120.2% to an average of 226.24 minutes per week
Lost a total of 2,001 pounds and reduced their body fat by 12.3 percent
Saw their total cholesterol fall an average of 28.35 points (or mg/dl of cholesterol). In addition, LDL , the bad cholesterol levels decreased by 20.9 percent. Another lipid, triglycerides, were lowered by 10.8 percent.
Had their systolic blood pressure levels dropped by 11.22 mmHg (or 8.3 percent) while diastolic pressures fell an average of 6.11 mmHg (or 7.7 percent). Stress management activities increased 3,573.4 percent, while depression and stress fell by 36.8 percent.
Achieved a 50 percent overall reduction in the risk of cardiac events.
The average results are near ideal levels as defined by the American Heart Association.
The Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease is a non-invasive and innovative option that supplements conventional heart disease care. It combines moderate exercise, a whole-foods, low-fat nutrition plan, stress management, including yoga and deep relaxation and group psychosocial support.
In addition to the Medicare Demonstration Project, Mountain State Blue Cross Blue Shield covers this program, and many state employees with PEIA insurance have achieved excellent results as well. For more information on the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease or to find the hospital nearest you, call 1-800-879-2217.
This event was sponsored by the West Virginia United Health Systems: West Virginia University Hospitals of Morgantown and United Hospital Center of Clarksburg. Both locations offer the program. Additional sites are: OhioValleyMedicalCenter and WheelingHospital, both in Wheeling; St. Josephs and CamdenClarkMemorialHospitals, both in Parkersburg; St. Marys Hospital in Huntington; Princeton Community Hospital of Princeton; CharlestonAreaMedicalCenter; and the WellnessCenter at CityHospital in Martinsburg.