Pub Date : 2024-09-14DOI: 10.1177/15598276241283762
Ross Arena, Nicolaas P. Pronk, Elie Gertner, Kharma C Foucher, Colin Woodard
Introduction: Health indices vary widely within the United States (U.S.), with clear “belts and epicenters” where the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, chronic disease, and disability are all high. Arthritis is a significant, well-established risk factor for developing chronic disease. In this paper, we hypothesize that the prevalence and patterns of arthritis in the U.S. will mirror that of other leading health issues across the country. Methods: We merged county-level data on arthritis, disability, and depression prevalence, the Lifestyle Health Index (LHI), the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and the American Nations regional cultures schematic. Results: Data was available from 3073 U.S. counties. We found age-adjusted arthritis prevalence has statistically significant and generally strong Pearson product correlations (r ≈ 0.70, P < 0.001) with (1) LHI sub scores and overall score; (2) Depression prevalence; (3) Disability prevalence; and (4) SVI. The geographic distribution of age-adjusted arthritis prevalence according to the American Nations regional cultures model demonstrated clear heterogeneity across regions. Conclusions: The status of population health in the U.S. is disconcerting and the current model of health care delivery, which is often approached from a siloed (condition-specific vs holistic care), reactionary, secondary prevention model, is inadequate to the challenge.
导言:美国国内的健康指数差异很大,有明显的 "带状和震中",在这些地方,不健康的生活方式行为、慢性疾病和残疾的发病率都很高。关节炎是罹患慢性疾病的一个重要、公认的风险因素。在本文中,我们假设美国关节炎的发病率和发病模式将与全国其他主要健康问题的发病率和发病模式如出一辙。研究方法我们合并了有关关节炎、残疾和抑郁症患病率的县级数据、生活方式健康指数 (LHI)、社会脆弱性指数 (SVI) 和美国民族地区文化图表。结果:我们获得了来自美国 3073 个县的数据。我们发现,年龄调整后的关节炎患病率与(1) LHI 分项得分和总分;(2) 抑郁症患病率;(3) 残疾患病率;(4) SVI 具有显著的统计学意义和普遍较强的皮尔逊乘积相关性(r ≈ 0.70, P < 0.001)。根据美洲民族地区文化模型,年龄调整后关节炎患病率的地理分布在各地区之间存在明显的异质性。结论美国的人口健康状况令人担忧,而目前的医疗保健服务模式往往是从孤立的(特定病症与整体护理)、反应性的二级预防模式出发,不足以应对挑战。
{"title":"Arthritis in the Regional Cultures of the American Nations: An Overlooked Component of a Larger Unhealthy Lifestyle Syndemic","authors":"Ross Arena, Nicolaas P. Pronk, Elie Gertner, Kharma C Foucher, Colin Woodard","doi":"10.1177/15598276241283762","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241283762","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Health indices vary widely within the United States (U.S.), with clear “belts and epicenters” where the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, chronic disease, and disability are all high. Arthritis is a significant, well-established risk factor for developing chronic disease. In this paper, we hypothesize that the prevalence and patterns of arthritis in the U.S. will mirror that of other leading health issues across the country. Methods: We merged county-level data on arthritis, disability, and depression prevalence, the Lifestyle Health Index (LHI), the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and the American Nations regional cultures schematic. Results: Data was available from 3073 U.S. counties. We found age-adjusted arthritis prevalence has statistically significant and generally strong Pearson product correlations (r ≈ 0.70, P < 0.001) with (1) LHI sub scores and overall score; (2) Depression prevalence; (3) Disability prevalence; and (4) SVI. The geographic distribution of age-adjusted arthritis prevalence according to the American Nations regional cultures model demonstrated clear heterogeneity across regions. Conclusions: The status of population health in the U.S. is disconcerting and the current model of health care delivery, which is often approached from a siloed (condition-specific vs holistic care), reactionary, secondary prevention model, is inadequate to the challenge.","PeriodicalId":47480,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142256313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-14DOI: 10.1177/15598276241283158
Samantha Morgenstern, Mercedes Redwood, Anna Herby
New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals implemented a nutrition program making plant-based meals the primary lunch and dinner options for patients at its 11 hospitals. Plant-based and culturally diverse meals are prepared and distributed by a central culinary center, managed by Sodexo. Food service associates visit patient rooms and verbally introduce the featured meals each day. To ensure alignment among all staff members, staff are educated about the health benefits of plant-based nutrition and about the new menu items. The plant-based meals have been well received, with patient acceptance over 95% and patient satisfaction above 90%. Per-tray food costs for plant-based entrees cost $0.59 less compared to trays including animal products. Furthermore, the hospital system has achieved a 36% reduction in calculated carbon emissions as a result of the new plant-based menu. Because dietary choices contribute significantly to health and may influence the likelihood of hospital readmissions, prioritizing plant-based meals and nutrition education during the hospital stay may help improve patient outcomes.
{"title":"An Innovative Program for Hospital Nutrition","authors":"Samantha Morgenstern, Mercedes Redwood, Anna Herby","doi":"10.1177/15598276241283158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241283158","url":null,"abstract":"New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals implemented a nutrition program making plant-based meals the primary lunch and dinner options for patients at its 11 hospitals. Plant-based and culturally diverse meals are prepared and distributed by a central culinary center, managed by Sodexo. Food service associates visit patient rooms and verbally introduce the featured meals each day. To ensure alignment among all staff members, staff are educated about the health benefits of plant-based nutrition and about the new menu items. The plant-based meals have been well received, with patient acceptance over 95% and patient satisfaction above 90%. Per-tray food costs for plant-based entrees cost $0.59 less compared to trays including animal products. Furthermore, the hospital system has achieved a 36% reduction in calculated carbon emissions as a result of the new plant-based menu. Because dietary choices contribute significantly to health and may influence the likelihood of hospital readmissions, prioritizing plant-based meals and nutrition education during the hospital stay may help improve patient outcomes.","PeriodicalId":47480,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142268966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-10DOI: 10.1177/15598276241280207
Julia Pangalangan, Jini Puma, Michelle Tollefson, Beth Frates
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale to measure health behavior across the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: sleep, social connectedness, physical activity, nutrition, substance use, and stress management. A pilot study (n = 94) investigated the construct, convergent, and content validity and reliability of the Lifestyle Medicine Health Behavior (LMHM) scale. Based on the pilot study results and literature, the scale was revised for further psychometric evaluation. Methods. A sample (n = 399) of participants completed the LMHB scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess construct validity. Face validity was assessed using qualitative feedback. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Results. The final model included five latent dimensions and one observed to represent each of the distinct pillars in lifestyle medicine. The open-ended response item elicited preponderance of positive feedback (∼80%); the scale was perceived as easy to understand and complete. Overall, the scale was reliable (α = 0.84). Conclusion. The LMHB scale assesses health behaviors across all six lifestyle medicine pillars, addressing each one systematically and individually. The scale had sufficient validity and reliability to measure health behaviors in this sample of adults. This is the first lifestyle medicine survey instrument to evaluate content, face, and construct validity and reliability.
{"title":"Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Lifestyle Medicine Health Behavior Scale","authors":"Julia Pangalangan, Jini Puma, Michelle Tollefson, Beth Frates","doi":"10.1177/15598276241280207","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241280207","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale to measure health behavior across the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: sleep, social connectedness, physical activity, nutrition, substance use, and stress management. A pilot study (n = 94) investigated the construct, convergent, and content validity and reliability of the Lifestyle Medicine Health Behavior (LMHM) scale. Based on the pilot study results and literature, the scale was revised for further psychometric evaluation. Methods. A sample (n = 399) of participants completed the LMHB scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess construct validity. Face validity was assessed using qualitative feedback. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Results. The final model included five latent dimensions and one observed to represent each of the distinct pillars in lifestyle medicine. The open-ended response item elicited preponderance of positive feedback (∼80%); the scale was perceived as easy to understand and complete. Overall, the scale was reliable (α = 0.84). Conclusion. The LMHB scale assesses health behaviors across all six lifestyle medicine pillars, addressing each one systematically and individually. The scale had sufficient validity and reliability to measure health behaviors in this sample of adults. This is the first lifestyle medicine survey instrument to evaluate content, face, and construct validity and reliability.","PeriodicalId":47480,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142177374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-10DOI: 10.1177/15598276241280883
Jay T. Sutliffe, Nanette V. Lopez, Natalie M. Papini, Stephen D. Herrmann
Depression is a global health concern, with various treatments available. In this study, participants (n = 430) were self-selected or medically referred to a residential lifestyle program at the Black Hills Health & Education Center (BHHEC), with a mean stay of 19 days. Individualized treatment plans included structured physical activity sessions, counseling sessions, and the provision of a vegan diet. Beck Depression Inventory-II, self-reported total exercise minutes, resistance exercise minutes, and sleep, along with the number of holistic treatments and counseling sessions, were evaluated. Paired samples t-tests indicated a significant decrease in depression scores over time (MT1 = 20.14, MT2 = 6.17, P < .001). Results from the multiple linear regression that evaluated total exercise minutes, resistance exercise, number of treatments and counseling sessions, and average reported hours of nightly sleep on depression scores at time 2 indicated that average reported hours of nightly sleep were the only significant predictor of depression scores at time 2 ( P < .05). While depression scores significantly improved from baseline to post-assessment for all participants, it is possible that an unmeasured variable, or the synergistic intervention effect of the wellness program, accounted for changes in depressive symptoms over time. Future studies should incorporate sleep quality and assessing time spent in nature to explore these relationships further.
{"title":"Examining Real-World Evidence of Depression-Related Symptom Reduction Through a Comprehensive Holistic Lifestyle Intervention","authors":"Jay T. Sutliffe, Nanette V. Lopez, Natalie M. Papini, Stephen D. Herrmann","doi":"10.1177/15598276241280883","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241280883","url":null,"abstract":"Depression is a global health concern, with various treatments available. In this study, participants (n = 430) were self-selected or medically referred to a residential lifestyle program at the Black Hills Health & Education Center (BHHEC), with a mean stay of 19 days. Individualized treatment plans included structured physical activity sessions, counseling sessions, and the provision of a vegan diet. Beck Depression Inventory-II, self-reported total exercise minutes, resistance exercise minutes, and sleep, along with the number of holistic treatments and counseling sessions, were evaluated. Paired samples t-tests indicated a significant decrease in depression scores over time (M<jats:sub>T1</jats:sub> = 20.14, M<jats:sub>T2</jats:sub> = 6.17, P < .001). Results from the multiple linear regression that evaluated total exercise minutes, resistance exercise, number of treatments and counseling sessions, and average reported hours of nightly sleep on depression scores at time 2 indicated that average reported hours of nightly sleep were the only significant predictor of depression scores at time 2 ( P < .05). While depression scores significantly improved from baseline to post-assessment for all participants, it is possible that an unmeasured variable, or the synergistic intervention effect of the wellness program, accounted for changes in depressive symptoms over time. Future studies should incorporate sleep quality and assessing time spent in nature to explore these relationships further.","PeriodicalId":47480,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142177438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-10DOI: 10.1177/15598276241274486
David A. Sleet, William Scarbrough, Chad J. Brown
{"title":"World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims","authors":"David A. Sleet, William Scarbrough, Chad J. Brown","doi":"10.1177/15598276241274486","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241274486","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47480,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142177439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-09DOI: 10.1177/15598276241279170
Chenyu Zou, Joshua C. Hollingsworth, Robin Gosdin Farrell, Brent I. Fox
This program review presents data for the Deans’ Fit Family Challenge (DFFC) and proposes future directions for improvement, informed by the Social Cognitive Theory. The DFFC is a multi-week physical activity competition held annually between three health professional programs, focusing on the development of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and social support of health-related fitness. Participants competed in teams of two and tracked their activity minutes weekly using the ChallengeRunner app or through manual entry. Weekly winners were announced, and the winning college was determined from a composite score of active minutes and weight loss. Since 2019, 1164 participants reported an average of 217.1 weekly minutes of physical activity during the DFFC. An average of 94.0% of participants reported minutes in week 1, compared to 56.3% in week 8. The DFFC is an important initiative to potentially promote physical activity levels among participating programs. While motivational strategies are being incorporated and executed in the DFFC, there is a need for ongoing exploration and improvement to enhance future competition-based interventions among health professional students, faculty, and staff.
{"title":"Promoting Physical Activity Among Health Professional Students, Faculty, and Staff Members: A Competition-Based Intervention","authors":"Chenyu Zou, Joshua C. Hollingsworth, Robin Gosdin Farrell, Brent I. Fox","doi":"10.1177/15598276241279170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241279170","url":null,"abstract":"This program review presents data for the Deans’ Fit Family Challenge (DFFC) and proposes future directions for improvement, informed by the Social Cognitive Theory. The DFFC is a multi-week physical activity competition held annually between three health professional programs, focusing on the development of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and social support of health-related fitness. Participants competed in teams of two and tracked their activity minutes weekly using the ChallengeRunner app or through manual entry. Weekly winners were announced, and the winning college was determined from a composite score of active minutes and weight loss. Since 2019, 1164 participants reported an average of 217.1 weekly minutes of physical activity during the DFFC. An average of 94.0% of participants reported minutes in week 1, compared to 56.3% in week 8. The DFFC is an important initiative to potentially promote physical activity levels among participating programs. While motivational strategies are being incorporated and executed in the DFFC, there is a need for ongoing exploration and improvement to enhance future competition-based interventions among health professional students, faculty, and staff.","PeriodicalId":47480,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142177375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-07DOI: 10.1177/15598276241279223
Michaela L. Dowling, Madeline E. Hubbard, Richa Agnihotri
Children’s eating behaviors are dependent on childhood food experiences, which involve their parental feeding practices, home food environments, and modeling of eating behavior. Intuitive eating (IE) promotes eating based on internal hunger and satiety cues. IE has been associated with improvements in mental and physical health. There has been increasing interest in exploring the association between parent and child IE. The aim of this scoping review was to synthesize current literature reporting on parent and child IE associations. Four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and CINAHL) were searched using keywords focusing on IE, parents, and children. Inclusion criteria were reporting on parental and/or child IE, and reporting on parent–child relationships. After screening, 15 studies were retained. From these, 3 main correlations were described. Parental IE was associated with child feeding, child weight concerns, and the home food environment. As well, environmental factors (i.e., family cohesion, food security) were associated with components of child IE. Moreover, IE was directly correlated between parents and children. Overall, this study highlights how child IE behaviors may be shaped by both parental IE and the broader environments that they are raised within. Additional high-quality studies are required to verify these findings.
{"title":"Association of Parent and Child Intuitive Eating: A Scoping Review","authors":"Michaela L. Dowling, Madeline E. Hubbard, Richa Agnihotri","doi":"10.1177/15598276241279223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241279223","url":null,"abstract":"Children’s eating behaviors are dependent on childhood food experiences, which involve their parental feeding practices, home food environments, and modeling of eating behavior. Intuitive eating (IE) promotes eating based on internal hunger and satiety cues. IE has been associated with improvements in mental and physical health. There has been increasing interest in exploring the association between parent and child IE. The aim of this scoping review was to synthesize current literature reporting on parent and child IE associations. Four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and CINAHL) were searched using keywords focusing on IE, parents, and children. Inclusion criteria were reporting on parental and/or child IE, and reporting on parent–child relationships. After screening, 15 studies were retained. From these, 3 main correlations were described. Parental IE was associated with child feeding, child weight concerns, and the home food environment. As well, environmental factors (i.e., family cohesion, food security) were associated with components of child IE. Moreover, IE was directly correlated between parents and children. Overall, this study highlights how child IE behaviors may be shaped by both parental IE and the broader environments that they are raised within. Additional high-quality studies are required to verify these findings.","PeriodicalId":47480,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine","volume":"79 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142177376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-06DOI: 10.1177/15598276241281475
Camille V. Owens, Rami S. Najjar, Marino A. Bruce, Bettina M. Beech, Baxter D. Montgomery
Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a major contributor of premature cardiovascular-related deaths. Patients are typically on numerous medications to manage this condition; however, patients continue to experience poor quality of life. Alternative therapeutic approaches are needed to treat HFrEF. The clinical course of seven patients with Stage C and D HFrEF who failed guideline-directed medical therapy were retrospectively analyzed based on medical chart data. All patients consumed a defined, plant-based diet as part of their clinical treatment, and a subset also underwent alternative treatment modalities: External Counterpulsation therapy, BEMER therapy, infrared sauna therapy, ozone therapy, or PlaqueX® therapy. Chart review of these patients indicated improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP). All patients also had a significant reduction in medication needs and body weight. Further, all patients reported significant improvements in their quality of life. These data suggest that a defined, plant-based diet combined with other alternative modalities may be efficacious in reducing HFrEF medications and treating Stage C or D HFrEF patients who failed guideline-direct medical therapies. Observations from this case series indicate a need for rigorous prospective studies to confirm these effects.
射血分数降低性心力衰竭(HFrEF)是导致心血管相关性过早死亡的主要原因。患者通常需要服用多种药物来控制病情,但患者的生活质量仍然很差。我们需要其他治疗方法来治疗心房颤动缺氧(HFrEF)。我们根据病历数据回顾性分析了七名C期和D期HFrEF患者的临床病程,这些患者均未能接受指导性药物治疗。作为临床治疗的一部分,所有患者都摄入了明确的植物性饮食,部分患者还接受了其他治疗方式:此外,部分患者还接受了其他治疗方法:体外反搏疗法、BEMER疗法、红外线桑拿疗法、臭氧疗法或PlaqueX®疗法。对这些患者进行的病历审查显示,他们的左心室射血分数(LVEF)和右心室收缩压(RVSP)均有所改善。所有患者的用药需求和体重也都明显减少。此外,所有患者的生活质量都有明显改善。这些数据表明,明确的植物性饮食与其他替代方法相结合,可有效减少高心衰患者的用药量,并治疗指导性药物治疗失败的 C 期或 D 期高心衰患者。本系列病例的观察结果表明,需要进行严格的前瞻性研究来证实这些效果。
{"title":"A Defined, Plant-Based Diet and Other Integrative Therapies Improve Functional Status and Ejection Fraction while Reducing Medications in Patients With Heart Failure: A Case Series","authors":"Camille V. Owens, Rami S. Najjar, Marino A. Bruce, Bettina M. Beech, Baxter D. Montgomery","doi":"10.1177/15598276241281475","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241281475","url":null,"abstract":"Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a major contributor of premature cardiovascular-related deaths. Patients are typically on numerous medications to manage this condition; however, patients continue to experience poor quality of life. Alternative therapeutic approaches are needed to treat HFrEF. The clinical course of seven patients with Stage C and D HFrEF who failed guideline-directed medical therapy were retrospectively analyzed based on medical chart data. All patients consumed a defined, plant-based diet as part of their clinical treatment, and a subset also underwent alternative treatment modalities: External Counterpulsation therapy, BEMER therapy, infrared sauna therapy, ozone therapy, or PlaqueX® therapy. Chart review of these patients indicated improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP). All patients also had a significant reduction in medication needs and body weight. Further, all patients reported significant improvements in their quality of life. These data suggest that a defined, plant-based diet combined with other alternative modalities may be efficacious in reducing HFrEF medications and treating Stage C or D HFrEF patients who failed guideline-direct medical therapies. Observations from this case series indicate a need for rigorous prospective studies to confirm these effects.","PeriodicalId":47480,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142177377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-04DOI: 10.1177/15598276241280245
Steven G. Sugden, Gia Merlo
Climate change is becoming the most significant global challenge and must be addressed on a global scale. At the time that this article is being written, the planetary heat in 2023 was the hottest on record. Similarly, the World Health Organization reports that 99% of the world’s population lives in regions of unhealthy air pollution. Similarly, depression has become one of the leading causes of global mental and physical disabilities, and the impact of depression is predicted to only worsen over the next 25 years. It is interesting to note that climate experts often overlook the adoption of nutrition via a whole plant-based diet as a solution to both mental illness and climate change. In this review, we will touch upon the role of nutrition in gut microbiota and mental health, the impact diet has on greenhouse gases, the role of ultra-processed food, and environmental factors such as air pollution and increasing planetary heat and their growing impacts on mental health. In the end, the promotion of plant-based foods has the potential to improve personal mental and physical health while improving planetary health.
{"title":"What do Climate Change, Nutrition, and the Environment Have to do With Mental Health?","authors":"Steven G. Sugden, Gia Merlo","doi":"10.1177/15598276241280245","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241280245","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change is becoming the most significant global challenge and must be addressed on a global scale. At the time that this article is being written, the planetary heat in 2023 was the hottest on record. Similarly, the World Health Organization reports that 99% of the world’s population lives in regions of unhealthy air pollution. Similarly, depression has become one of the leading causes of global mental and physical disabilities, and the impact of depression is predicted to only worsen over the next 25 years. It is interesting to note that climate experts often overlook the adoption of nutrition via a whole plant-based diet as a solution to both mental illness and climate change. In this review, we will touch upon the role of nutrition in gut microbiota and mental health, the impact diet has on greenhouse gases, the role of ultra-processed food, and environmental factors such as air pollution and increasing planetary heat and their growing impacts on mental health. In the end, the promotion of plant-based foods has the potential to improve personal mental and physical health while improving planetary health.","PeriodicalId":47480,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142177378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-04DOI: 10.1177/15598276241267252
Zeeshan Ali, Saray Stancic, Roxanne Becker, Anna Herby, Sankeerth K Kondapalli, Alex M. Dombrower, Neal D. Barnard
Objectives: To determine the current prevalence and type of fast-food outlets at medical-school-affiliated hospitals and compare them to previous findings to assess progress in improving the hospital food environment. Method: We invited medical students at 192 medical and osteopathic schools to complete Sogolytics surveys reporting on fast-food restaurants that are affiliated with their main teaching hospital or medical centers. Results: Of 192 medical and osteopathic schools, 255 individual completed surveys were received from 146 schools. 101 schools (69.2%) reportedly hosted at least one fast-food restaurant associated with the hospitals at which students rotate, these include 15.1% schools that gave a mixed response to the question if fast-food restaurants are present in any affiliated hospitals. 45 schools (30.8%) reported no fast-food restaurants in any affiliated hospitals. The five most common fast-food restaurants reported were Starbucks (27.9%), Subway (18.8%), Chick-fil-A (9.2%), Au Bon Pain (8.8%), and McDonald’s (5.4%). Regarding the statement, “It is acceptable for fast-food restaurants to be in hospitals,” 27.8% of students strongly disagreed, 29.0% somewhat disagreed, 16.9% neither agreed nor disagreed, 21.2% somewhat agreed, and only 5.1% strongly agreed. Conclusions: The majority of the teaching hospitals affiliated with the schools have at least one fast-food restaurant onsite.
{"title":"Fast-Food Outlets in Hospitals Affiliated With U.S. Medical Schools","authors":"Zeeshan Ali, Saray Stancic, Roxanne Becker, Anna Herby, Sankeerth K Kondapalli, Alex M. Dombrower, Neal D. Barnard","doi":"10.1177/15598276241267252","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276241267252","url":null,"abstract":"Objectives: To determine the current prevalence and type of fast-food outlets at medical-school-affiliated hospitals and compare them to previous findings to assess progress in improving the hospital food environment. Method: We invited medical students at 192 medical and osteopathic schools to complete Sogolytics surveys reporting on fast-food restaurants that are affiliated with their main teaching hospital or medical centers. Results: Of 192 medical and osteopathic schools, 255 individual completed surveys were received from 146 schools. 101 schools (69.2%) reportedly hosted at least one fast-food restaurant associated with the hospitals at which students rotate, these include 15.1% schools that gave a mixed response to the question if fast-food restaurants are present in any affiliated hospitals. 45 schools (30.8%) reported no fast-food restaurants in any affiliated hospitals. The five most common fast-food restaurants reported were Starbucks (27.9%), Subway (18.8%), Chick-fil-A (9.2%), Au Bon Pain (8.8%), and McDonald’s (5.4%). Regarding the statement, “It is acceptable for fast-food restaurants to be in hospitals,” 27.8% of students strongly disagreed, 29.0% somewhat disagreed, 16.9% neither agreed nor disagreed, 21.2% somewhat agreed, and only 5.1% strongly agreed. Conclusions: The majority of the teaching hospitals affiliated with the schools have at least one fast-food restaurant onsite.","PeriodicalId":47480,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142177382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}