HS Alliance
Heart disease and diabetes can be a deadly combination, requiring the medical community to provide treatments that help achieve positive patient outcomes.
As part of that effort, Northwell Health announced Wednesday that it is now a founding member of the St. Louis-based Cardiometabolic Center Alliance. Here, Northwell will continue its ongoing research and programs to improve cardiometabolic health as the alliance expands across the country.
Founded by Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in St. Louis, the alliance seeks to provide innovative approaches in the treatment of patients with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The coalition’s long-term goal is to establish nationwide cardiometabolic centers of excellence, to transform the treatment of type 2 diabetes and associated cardiovascular and renal comorbidities. From 2023, the alliance aims to bring together 20 member institutions.
Insulin resistance, prediabetes, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes all fall under the spectrum of cardiometabolic disease. And it’s not uncommon for these conditions to occur together and share risk factors such as obesity; high blood pressure; high cholesterol, high triglycerides, or both; and abnormal glucose regulation.
“Over the past few years, our team at Northwell Health has implemented many initiatives related to cardiometabolic health education aimed at improving patient outcomes,” said Dr. Eugenia Gianos, Director of Cardiovascular Prevention at Northwell Health, in a statement.
“In an effort to take our practices to the next level of standardization and comprehensive care, we are excited to become a founding member of the Cardiometabolic Alliance, to share best practices and research to improve patient outcomes,” said she added.
An estimated two out of three diabetes patients die of heart disease, which (including pre-diabetes) affects 50% of Americans, the American Diabetes Association reported. Northwell experts say prevention is key with an emphasis on early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.
“CMCA’s mission is to transform cardiometabolic care and improve quality and outcomes for patients, regardless of where they live,” said Dr. Mikhail Kosiborod, executive director of the Cardiometabolic Alliance, in a statement. .
He said the collaboration with Northwell would “bring comprehensive team-based cardiometabolic care to the many patients they serve.”
Over the past three years, Northwell’s cardiovascular prevention experts have participated in 10 clinical trials related to cardiometabolic diseases at six separate centers in the healthcare system. These studies include research on dyslipidemia, diabetes, blood clots, and implementation science to complement their investigator-initiated research.
And Northwell’s “Beyond Diabetes” program aims to promote the use of new therapies that have been shown to reduce cardiometabolic disease and guide healthcare providers on how to integrate them into their clinical practice. Certain oral medications have been shown to significantly improve outcomes for patients with diabetes, including substantial weight loss and associated cardiometabolic changes.
“Northwell clinicians have been focused on expanding the types of providers who now focus on cardiometabolic health, knowing how broad this issue is,” Gianos said. “We realized that we cannot leave this to endocrinologists alone to manage; it must be a multidisciplinary approach.
This approach is led by professors of cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, internal medicine and pharmacy with the goal of increasing the resources available to providers. Ultimately, the group aims to provide a framework for effectively educating providers across a broad healthcare system, improving quality metrics, and potentially improving patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness. The group will measure both clinical and economic variables related to increased drug use, improved risk factors for heart disease and hospitalization.
“Through the Cardiometabolic Centers Alliance, we are able to leverage our clinical expertise across the healthcare system to improve patient outcomes and share our data with member organizations,” said Dr Jaime Hirsh. , director of cardiac rehabilitation and specialist in kidney disease and hypertension at Northwell. in a report.
“We have strengthened our clinical reach in dietary and exercise interventions for patients who have had a significant cardiac event or are at high risk for cardiovascular disease,” added Hirsh.
Now, Northwell is piloting virtual cardiac rehabilitation programs for patients to complete evidence-based programs at home, as well as in-person programs.
“Cardiac rehabilitation improves vascular function, aids in the remodeling process of the heart, and reduces inflammation, thereby improving quality of life and patient survival,” Hirsh said.