An all-natural approach to heart disease
Within a day of being diagnosed with a heart condition, Russ Gerbino discovered Virtua's Holistic Heart Program. "It was a gift from God," says Gerbino, a manager in the computer industry. An intensive, yearlong program, it promotes healthy, permanent lifestyle changes in the areas of nutrition, exercise and stress reduction. The exercise component, called FitCare, is for people who have graduated from cardiac rehabilitation programs but continue to need a supervised exercise program. It also involves coordination with the patient's individual cardiologist.
After the Holistic Heart Program pilot phase ended in the fall of 2000, most of the participants had made improvements in weight, body mass index, cholesterol levels, overall fitness, and triglyceride levels. Like Gerbino, Virtua cardiologist Vincent Spagnuolo, MD, believes this program can reverse heart disease. "I just referred three people to the program this week," he says.
Gerbino made significant changes in just 12 weeks, improving many of his risk factors. By exercising regularly and following a strict "reversal" diet similar to the low-fat, plant-based diet recommended by Dean Ornish, Gerbino lost close to 12 pounds, lowered his body mass index (BMI) by two points, lost seven inches and reduced his cholesterol 29 points, to 186. Since beginning the monthly follow-up sessions, he has continued to show improvements in overall weight, percentage of body fat to lean mass, cholesterol and BMI.
Gerbino works closely with Jaime Pitner, MICP, RHC, coordinator of the program and an expert in relaxation techniques such as hypnosis and meditation. Gerbino is learning to control his stress and his "type A" personality. "I'm getting a lot better at it," reports Gerbino.
Virtua also offers a cardiac support group, called Heart and Soul.