The Greatest Opportunity in American Medicine
Optimal medical therapy (OMT) first in stable patients with heart artery disease is the new universal standard of care by American College of Cardiology guideline. It is equally effective in diabetes and other conditions related to heart disease. Here’s the thing. Most people don’t know about OMT. It is not being taught in our medical, nursing, and physician assistant schools. It is only available to patients in a handful of places. Starting an OMT program now is like investing in Amazon or Google in the first year of their exist. OMT will definitely be the new was of treating patients with chronic cardiovascular and related conditions in the near future. Your community, practice, school, or institution can lead the way to the next new thing in medicine.
When I say most people don’t know about OMT, that is not an exaggeration. It is most important to realize that even most medical professionals are unaware of this development. I have written here about my neighbor Jean, and her heart disease. Jean is a very bright woman who has been a registered nurse for years. Her husband is a nurse anesthetist. She had repeated chest pain and had multiple complete evaluations. Because she did not have chronic heart artery blockages, she was told she was safe, she did not have heart artery disease. She could stop taking her aspirin. She could stop seeing the cardiologist. All of that advice was dead wrong. Jean does have heart disease and she was in danger. She could only walk a couple of minutes on the treadmill. On OMT, her chest pain is much better, she has lost weight, and she can walk miles without difficulty. Her quality of life is much better. She feels better.
I am working with another nurse with a masters degree in population health who coached patients with diabetes for years. I have been working with her as she begins to coach high-risk patients with heart artery disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. She is a fast learner and a leader. When I met her, she was unaware of OMT, but now she is an enthusiastic advocate. If talented professionals don’t know about OMT, of course patients are unaware.
There is proof that OMT prolongs healthier life and slows aging now. The diet, exercise, and medications used in OMT are precision interventions that block the epigenetic effects and molecular biology that speeds up aging and chronic illness development. It is a product that can be systematized, standardized, replicated, and scaled. Teams of nurses and pharmacists can deliver it. It requires a minimal outlay for facilities and equipment. Eighty-five percent of the care can be delivered remotely. That means you can reach the most rural and disadvantaged areas. Get on board at the earliest stage. Be a leader.