High cholesterol levels greatly increase your chances of getting heart disease and/or having a heart attack. When too much cholesterol in the blood builds up in the artery walls, it causes what is known as “hardening of the arteries.” The hardened arteries become narrower so blood flow to the heart slows down or is blocked entirely. Since blood carries oxygen to the heart, slowing that flow causes a variety of problems, including chest pain.

Traditional methods of treating CHD include medications, bypass surgery and angioplasty. Although these interventions are, and always will be important, they fail to address a fundamental element in the disease process: its cause.
Many Americans don’t realize that their daily lifestyle choices can ultimately cause heart disease. What we eat, how we exercise, how we respond to stress, and whether we abuse tobacco, alcohol and other drugs can directly lead to the development and progression of heart disease.  Scientific evidence has proven that specific lifestyle changes can prevent, stop and even reverse the progression of coronary artery disease.

Change of Heart is a lifestyle modification program, founded more than 14 years ago by David Becker, M.D., for people who want to reduce their risk of heart disease. During a 10-week period, Dr. Becker, along with Ram Gordon, M.D., a board-certified cardiologist, and a team of professional experts, teach participants about heart disease, how to eat better, start an exercise program, and actively manage their stress. Change of Heart participants have included not only people who have had heart attacks, bypass surgery and angioplasty, but also people with high cholesterol or other risk factors for heart disease. With an emphasis on lifestyle changes, many participants are able to reduce or eliminate their medications, including statins (cholesterol lowering medicines). Additionally, most participants lose weight during the 10-week period.

In 2006, a special session of Change of Heart participants elected to participate in a 12-week study to demonstrate the affects of taking cholesterol-lowering medication alone versus attending the Change of Heart program and taking a natural supplement. The study found that people who participated in the Change of Heart program and took a combination of fish oil and red rice yeast had the same reduction in LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and lost more weight than people who did not participate in Change of Heart, but took a cholesterol reducing medicine alone. This finding, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings in July 2008, garnered worldwide attention from the medical and lay press and was featured on MSNBC, Web MD, and National Public Radio. Drs. Becker and Gordon have conducted several other studies, examining the effects of lifestyle changes and supplements, that they will present at a major cardiology meeting in March 2009. Change of Heart has been featured in two front-page articles in the Philadelphia Inquirer and on local television.

The next 10-week Change of Heart session at Chestnut Hill Hospital will begin Tuesday evening, March 24, 2009. A free, introductory seminar, hosted by David J. Becker, M.D., and Ram Gordon, M.D., will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill on Thursday, February 19, 2009. At this introductory seminar, learn how Change of Heart works and meet the program’s professional staff, including the registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, and psychologist. The Change of Heart team will answer all of your questions about this scientifically-proven program. Registration for the introductory seminar is required. Call 215-753-2000. 

Chestnut Hill Health System—provides quality health care, covering the spectrum of services for families in northwest Philadelphia and eastern Montgomery County.