Migdalia treatment’s ideology was born from the research conducted by Dr. Nicolae Dan, MPH PhD from Targu Mures Medical University (Romania), together with fellow scientist from Loma Linda University. This work on “The Design of Lifestyle Change Interventions”, also known as the 10 days Global Lifestyle Change. .. a study done again by researchers at
Global Support for Lifestyle Medicine with Loma Linda University and Targu Mures Medical University.
And the results are astounding!
OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE OF STUDY
The purpose of the study is to analyze the effects of the health program promoted at HLC, on important indicators of health status, including, but not limiting at effort capacity, body weight, smoking, arterial hypertension, blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides, reactive protein C, etc. Specifically, the study was aimed to underline the changes in different measures of health status and the risk evolution in patients enrolled in the Global Support for Lifestyle Medicine Institute program when compared with the evolution of the same factors in patients that are following usual medical care.
Our hypothesis was that the Global Support Lifestyle Medicine Institute program has the same influence in general population as in the patients who voluntarily solicited our services and that the outstanding anthropometric and biochemical outcomes are not caused by the biases mentioned (self-selection and hand-picking) but are determined by the program itself.
HOW TO TREAT CHRONIC DISEASE
Although evidence based medical recommendations pinpoint changes in the lifestyle and health related behavior to be a omnipresent approach to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, lifestyle intervention and modification is not considered a priority and does not have political and adequate budget support nor facilities from insurance companies in order to assure the implementation of these recommendations. Current epidemics (cardio-vascular disease, obesity, diabetes) require a new approach…lifestyle modification must became a constant (even if it is uncomfortable) for the medical approach of the chronic diseases of civilization.
The permanent unilateral help for the patient is long overdue – a new approach is required towards the involvement of the patient in her/his own health problems (joint venture) [12]. The thoughts expressed by Abraham Lincoln, are true even when talking about the prevention of chronic diseases: “you are not really and permanently helping people when you are doing for them what they should do for themselves”.
HEALTHY LIVING
HLC is a non-profit medical structure where we are trying to approach the chronic diseases of civilization, focusing on prevention and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle (the program was described by Dr. Gh. Nandris as being “the only program from Romania with 50 beds for prevention). In 13 years of activity impressive results were obtained by the patients in the short time (11 day) of exposure to our program. An observational study at HLC between 1997 and 2000 evaluated 500 patients which consecutively requested our services and which had at least two major factors of cardiovascular risk (one of which was the cholesterol> 200 mg/dl) with an admission period of 11 days, with biochemical and anthropometric evaluation at baseline and after 10 days. The specific medication for dyslipidemia, type II diabetes, ischemic cardiac disease and hypertension was kept at the same level or was reduced (most of the cases) – anyway, the medication was not increased during their stay with us. After 10 days the total cholesterol decreased on average with 25% (it is well known that for each mg/dl of cholesterol lowering the risk of myocardial infarction is reduced by 2-3%) [14,15]. Even for those who had a total cholesterol value between 180- 200 mg/dl, the total cholesterol decreased on average with 20%. HDL cholesterol increased on average 17%. LDL cholesterol decreased on average 29% and the triglycerides decreased 26%.
