How Pasadena-based Nudj Health is revolutionizing cardiac rehab with virtual care – Pasadena Now

For the millions of Americans living with heart disease, the road to recovery can be long and daunting. Many patients struggle to access or adhere to the traditional model of cardiac rehabilitation, which involves frequent visits to a hospital or clinic for supervised exercise and training.

But what if there was a way to bring cardiac rehabilitation to the comfort of your own home, with personalized support from a team of experts and colleagues? That’s the vision of Nudj Health, a Pasadena-based health service that uses technology and behavioral science to deliver evidence-based mental health and lifestyle interventions.

In partnership with Ornish Lifestyle Medicine by Sharecare, Nudj Health has launched its new Nudj Cardiac Complete program, which offers exclusive virtual intensive cardiac rehabilitation (v-ICR) and evidence-based collaborative care for cardiac patients. The program aims to improve access, uptake and adherence to cardiac rehabilitation while improving outcomes and reducing costs.

The Nudj Cardiac Complete program is the first of its kind to combine v-ICR and Collaborative Care, two proven approaches that have been shown to improve the health and well-being of patients with heart disease. V-ICR is an at-home version of the Ornish Program, a comprehensive lifestyle intervention scientifically proven to reverse heart disease and other chronic conditions.

Collaborative care is a team model of care that integrates primary care, specialty care, and behavioral health care to meet the physical and mental health needs of patients with chronic conditions.

By offering these services through a virtual platform, Nudj Health hopes to reach more patients who could benefit from cardiac rehabilitation, especially those who face barriers such as distance, transportation, cost or stigma.

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. However, only 20% of the nearly 1.3 million eligible US population participate in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation each year.

The Nudj Cardiac Complete program seeks to bridge this gap and improve the health status of individuals who have experienced heart failure, heart attacks, or coronary artery bypass surgery. The program also aims to empower patients to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing by giving them the tools, skills and support they need to make lasting lifestyle changes.

“A patient’s lifestyle choices, social determinants of health and emotional well-being are critical factors in preventing, treating and potentially reversing heart disease,” said Yuri Sudhakar, founder and CEO of Nudj Health, in a statement. “Ornish Lifestyle Medicine is a pioneer in integrating lifestyle changes directly into patient care, and we are so excited to incorporate the virtual program into our Nudj Cardiac Complete offering for physician groups across the country.”

The statement said a recent study comparing Virtual Intensive Cardiac Rehab to standard cardiac rehabilitation programs showed significant benefits, including a 3.4 percent reduction in body weight and an 11.3 percent reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Major adverse cardiac events were also found to be less likely in the v-ICR group, the statement said.

Ornish Lifestyle Medicine delivers a 72-hour program to reverse heart disease and improve heart function without drugs or surgery. The program focuses on nutrition, fitness, stress management and love and support, providing each program cohort with a dedicated team of clinical experts.

Dr. Dean Ornish, founder of Ornish Lifestyle Medicine, said he is excited that Nudj Health will now offer its intensive cardiac rehabilitation program virtually. Cardiac Complete makes Ornish Lifestyle Medicine available to everyone, wherever they live, by removing barriers to access and reducing health disparities, he said.

“Our program remains the only one scientifically proven in randomized controlled trials to reverse the progression of coronary heart disease with lifestyle changes alone,” said Dr. Ornish. “Medicare began providing coverage for it in 2010, and through telehealth platforms like Zoom, in 2021, they first covered a lifestyle medicine program to reverse heart disease.”

Nudj Health said Cardiac Complete offers three key care services:

• Heart Health/Risk Reduction: A monthly program certified by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine providing lifestyle and health behavior changes to patients.

• Virtual Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (v-ICR): A virtual extension of hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation for patients who have experienced a serious cardiac event.

• Care after v-ICR: Continuum of care after rehabilitation to help patients maintain and build on their success.

For more information, visit www.nudjhealth.com.