What are cardiovascular diseases?
Two of the most common cardiovascular diseases are hypertension (high blood pressure) and high cholesterol. Both are typically treated with prescription drugs to reduce the symptoms, but these do not address the underlying cause, and symptomatic relief often comes at the price of significant side effects from the medications. According to the American Heart Association, more than 100 million Americans have high blood pressure and the death rate for this condition increased by 11% between 2005 and 2015, in spite of the current standard of care.
More than 102 million American adults have total cholesterol levels at levels typically considered unhealthy, and 93% of adults using a cholesterol-lowering medication used a statin. Statin use has been associated with a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes.
How can Well Integrative Medicine help me?
The current way conventional medicine treats cardiovascular disease is by focusing on the risk factors, not the causes. Attempting to manage heart disease solely by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure through medication alone is like mopping up the floor while leaving the faucet running as the sink overflows. The way you eat, how much you exercise, how you manage stress, and your exposure to environmental toxins all contribute to these factors, and they must be addressed directly.
Doctors traditionally treat these problems primarily with medication, but studies have increasingly shown that treating these risk factors with medications alone has limited benefits for long-term wellness. Using a functional approach, at Well Integrative Medicine we look for the root causes of cardiovascular disease and show patients how changing their diet and aspects of their lifestyle can be the most powerful interventions to prevent heart disease – without all of the well-documented side effects of conventional treatment.
Request a consultation at Well Integrative Medicine in Chicago
At our clinic in Chicago, we utilize integrative & functional medicine and our functional nutrition services to help patients manage their blood pressure and maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Thankfully, elevated blood pressure and cholesterol is both preventable and treatable – and often reversible! Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and weight loss can go a long way toward treating cardiovascular disease – without side effects. Request an appointment with us by calling 773-784-7000 or submitting the form on our site.