Optimal Medical Treatment Reduces All Cause Death by Half at Ten Years
Simple Treatments Can Keep You Healthier Longer
After ten years of follow-up of patients who had a heart artery stent or bypass, only half as many patients on optimal medical treatment (OMT) died of any cause compared with those on usual care. Although this represents one of the greatest benefits in all of medicine, at five years, only half the patients in usual care were on OMT. We have failed to deploy the systems and protocols to assure Americans receive this benefit consistently.
In another OMT study in a similar population, all-cause mortality was reduced by 90%. The OMT group and usual care group both enrolled 628 patients. The OMT group had 12 cardiovascular deaths vs. 98 deaths in usual care. There were 16 all-cause deaths in the OMT group vs 188 in usual care. OMT for cardiovascular disease prevents deaths from other causes.
And we know why. This simple diagram shows how accelerated aging, cardiovascular disease, and cancer are related. Over the last several threads, I have shown how oxidants, the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), and other growth factors come together to cause and regulate cancer. Once EGFR and other growth factors are switched on, they contribute to oxidant production creating a vicious cycle of oxidant and growth factor activation. Interfering with factors that increase oxidants, decrease antioxidants, and switch on growth factors improves cancer outcomes and delays resistance to chemotherapy medications. All the green box interventions in the diagram reduce oxidant production or the downstream signaling to achieve that goal.
This entire site is dedicated to the biology that causes aging and chronic disease. We have also extensively reviewed how oxidants and growth factors are central to artery and heart diseases. Cancer, artery disease, and heart disease account for most human deaths. Since all the green boxes reduce oxidants and growth factor activation, it would make sense that they reduce death from all causes and that is indeed the case.
Optimal medical treatment (OMT) combines all the green box interventions with avoiding cigarettes. It reduces oxidant production and growth factor activation. It breaks up the vicious cycle. OMT is the new standard of care for patients with arterial disease whether they have had their arteries opened or not. You can achieve a longer healthier life for your family, your patients, and your employees.