With heart disease being the number one cause of death in the world it is considered a social problem. Steps are being taken to encourage people to take action in reducing the risk for heart disease. Medicare will now cover for people to take yoga classes to help reduce stress. Patients can receive up to 72 one hour classes. A couple, Frank and Kathy Korona, have both lost many family members due to heart disease so they decided to take control of their health and joined the Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease. This program teaches a plant- based, meatless diet, meditation and regular exercise. Nutrition, stress management, moderate exercise and group support are the four main components to the program. The leaders of the program believe group support is important because when people feel lonely they are more likely to pick up bad habits and feel more stressed and tense. When people feel emotionally close to others, they are usually physiologically healthier, too. There has been much evidence to show that the Ornish program does reverse heart disease. Together the couple has lost 85 pounds and Frank no longer has to take four of his medications.
As of right now only three insurance companies will pay for the Ornish program. As heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world, I think it is important for more insurance companies to pay for people to be in this program. The Ornish program has proved to be successful for people who already have heart disease and also for reducing the risk of developing the disease. Having a program to follow makes it easier for people to make better choices. If more people were able to participate in this program, their overall health will be better. I am glad there are programs like this one to help encourage people to get healthy and stay healthy.
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