Reduction in Chronic Disease Risk and Burden in a 70-Individual Cohort Through Modification of Health Behaviors

Introduction Health risk factors, including lifestyle risks and health literacy, are known to contribute to the chronic disease epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases account for 90% of healthcare costs, morbidity, and mortality. In the United States, healthcare providers attempt to modulate a limited set of risks. However, chronic diseases continue to proliferate despite expansion of wellness programs and drugs to manage and prevent chronic conditions. Pandemics, exemplified by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), show that people in good health suffer mortality rates at 10% the rate compared to those with pre-existing chronic conditions. Healthcare costs and morbidity rates often parallel mortality rates. New root-cause risk and health tools that accommodate low health literacy and are linked to personalized health improvement care plans are needed to reverse the chronic disease epidemic. Reported here is a study on 70 manufacturing employees in the Midwest US using a personalized and group approach to chronic disease reversal and prevention which may also find utility in pandemic severity and policy decisions. Methods Health, lifestyle, behavior, and motivation data were collected on 70 individuals at the beginning of a nine-month disease reversal and prevention program. The data were updated every two to six months over the period. Inputs included information from a novel health risk assessment, serum biomarkers specific for chronic disease, and traditional medical information. Using all these data we generated robust, personalized, and modifiable care plans that were implemented by the participant and guided by a care team including health coaches and medical providers. Periodic renewal of profile data and biomarkers facilitated adjustment of care plans to optimize the path toward health goals set mutually by the participant and the care team. Results Ninety percent of participants experienced a favorable reduction in chronic disease biomarkers. The reduction in serum biomarkers coincided with a reduction in disease and risk attributes based on medical chart data and before and after interviews. Hemoglobin A1C, for example, lowered in all but one participant concomitant with reported improved energy and reduced need for medications in the majority of participants. Markers of inflammation lowered across the population. Most importantly each individual reported improvement in their overall health. Conclusions This simple, inexpensive, root-cause based risk and health approach generates a “do no harm” action plan that guides a care team, including the participant, on a path to improved health. The data demonstrate that changes in a novel risk calculator score coincide with changes in sensitive biomarkers for chronic disease. When the risks of an individual are reduced, the biomarkers reflect that change with self-reported wellbeing also improved. This program and process may be of value to society plagued with escalating levels of chronic disease and merits further study and implementation.