“Most types of medicine focus on treating an illness or injury, rather than keeping it from happening. But preventive medicine stops sickness before it starts.” (Mindreactor 2019) A doctor that focuses on preventive medicine, takes a different approach than a doctor that treats a patient for a specific disease. So what is preventative medicine? As described on About Preventive Medicine, “Preventive medicine is the practice of promoting preventive health care to improve patient well-being. The goal is to ultimately prevent disease, disability, and death”.
“Research has shown that adults who recalled receiving advice from a physician or health care professional were more likely to change their eating habits, exercise, maintain a healthy weight, and/or reduce sodium and alcohol intake” (Musich, Shirley, et al 2016). Personalized prevention in medicine is a new approach that promotes healthy lifestyle behaviors, address issues in care coordination, identifies and prevents disease, and provides preventive measures to the population. For instance, in the matter of the medical issue, Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the thickening and hardening of the arteries. This health issue is caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. Having personalized preventive measures against this medical condition could save lives. The impact is a large one. Doctors that help offer preventive options may suggest stopping smoking, keeping a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, and exercising (Rice). This information being readily available for the patient is a life-saving method.
Knowing the factors that can lead to atherosclerosis can help provide treatment for prevention if a patient is known to be at risk. Some of these factors include smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a family history of heart disease, an inactive lifestyle, overweight or obesity, and diabetes. If a patient has multiple risk factors, it’s a good idea to try to manage the controllable ones to prevent atherosclerosis. These steps could include suggesting help to quit smoking, a diet that reduces the amount of meat, eggs, milk, and other dairy products consumed more exercise, and regular checkups to monitor health. Preventative medicine is especially important with atherosclerosis because there are no symptoms until after the damage has been done, causing treatment to be difficult. (Gandelman)
If a patient is known to be at risk for atherosclerosis due to high cholesterol levels or high blood pressure, supplements and products might be recommended to help prevent any future concerns of atherosclerosis. It’s important to make sure to check the effects with known medications prescribed before suggesting any other preventatives. The following are known to help at-risk individuals: alpha-linolenic acid, barley, beta-sitosterol, blond, psyllium, calcium, cocoa, fish oil, garlic, green tea, oat bran, and sitostanol (Mayo).
There are some dietary measures you can take if you are at risk of atherosclerosis. Having a diet low in salt and foods of animal origin may help. Also, an increase in plant-based foods including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts may help to reduce someone's atherosclerosis risk. Replacing high-fat oil such as canola oil and butter with unsaturated oils such as olive oil would also be a good choice.
The following is a great info-graphic to encapsulate how to make dietary choices that would aid in reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.
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Works Cited
“About Preventive Medicine.” ACPM, https://www.acpm.org/about-acpm/what-is-preventive-medicine/.
Mindreactor. “Preventive Medicine: Prevention Vs. Treatment.” UTMC, UTMC, 6 Feb. 2019, https://www.utmedicalcenter.org/preventive-medicine-prevention-vs-treatment/.
Musich, Shirley, et al. “The Impact of Personalized Preventive Care on Health Care Quality, Utilization, and Expenditures.” Population Health Management, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Dec. 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5296930/.
Rice, Alex. “Atherosclerosis - familydoctor.org.” FamilyDoctor.org, 29 May 2020, https://familydoctor.org/condition/atherosclerosis/. Accessed 27 January 2022.
Gandelman, G., Cunningham, L., & Snyder, M. (n.d.). What you can do to prevent atherosclerosis. What You Can Do to Prevent Atherosclerosis - Health Encyclopedia - University of Rochester Medical Center. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=1583
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2021, March 16). Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arteriosclerosis-atherosclerosis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350575
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