PATIENT SUCCESS STORIES

Eyes wide open towards heart healthy living.

By Dominique Adair MS, RD, ACSM, NASM Personal Health Coach, HDL, Inc.

Patient S is a 31-yr. old male with a history of TG/HDL axis disorder (mixed hyperlipidemia) and occasional sharp chest pain. Intermittent wheezing appeared to be brought on by exercise, which he therefore avoided. Given a family history of high cholesterol levels, CAD, strokes and cancer, Patient S wanted to manage his lipid levels, decrease his risk of cardiovascular disease and improve his overall health. He requested a structured but flexible plan to help him learn to eat more healthily.

The HDL, Inc. Personal Health Coach recommended the Exchange Group Meal Plan System as a manageable strategy to improve his diet. She developed a 2200 kcal/day plan for weight loss and suggested weekly food diaries for 3 weeks to increase his awareness of food choices. His MD prescribed 10mg/day Crestor, and recommended omega 3 fatty acids (4g/day), plant stanols (Benecol chews), and vitamin D (5,000 IU) supplements.

Patient S felt confident about his healthier food choices on the meal plan and glad about his weight loss and the ready availability of the HDL, Inc. Personal Health Coach. His wheezing had vanished, so 4-5 days/week of outdoor walking (or exercise video) was added to increase his fitness. Once he successfully incorporated the dietary changes into his lifestyle, the Personal Health Coach focused on behavioral challenges e.g. categorizing discretionary foods as (a) must have (b) could live with less (c) could live without, and minimizing unhealthy foods. He progressed to light jogging and was enjoying taking a more active role in his health.



Patient S’s HDL, Inc. lab report was dramatically improved. The Personal Health Coach modified his diet to support weight loss maintenance and together they decided he send 1 weekly food log/month. His exercising had increased, with a new goal to complete a 5K walk/run in May 2011 for which they devised a flexible exercise program.

Summary
This patient, through comprehensive lifestyle changes and medical intervention, dramatically improved his lab results and decreased his CAD risk. He lost a total of 25 lbs, bringing his BMI from 29 to 25. He reports having increased energy, enjoying healthier foods, and is excited about his progressive level of fitness. One interesting comment he made was the people didn’t understand why he, being so young, went to a heart doctor and lipid specialist Personal Health Coach. He tells them, “so I have my eyes open during the visit”. He will continue to have a comprehensive HDL, Inc. lab profile every three months and knows that the HDL, Inc. Personal Health Coach remains available to him for any questions or concerns.