A special initiative for the South Asian Heart Center at El Camino Hospital Why a South Asian Heart Center? The South Asian Heart Center at El Camino Hospital was established in 2006 to address the severe epidemic of heart disease and diabetes among people who trace their origins to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The elevated risk, between two and four times greater than that of other ethnic populations, is due to a combination of genetics, behavior, and environmental factors and is underestimated by traditional medical guidelines. Between 2002 and 2004, El Camino Hospital physicians observed that South Asians represented 6% of the acute myocardial infarction cases arriving in the emergency department even though they comprise only 3% of the local population. Many of these patients were vegetarian and younger than age 50, they were not obese, and they did not smoke – in short they exhibited none of the traditional warning signs. With backing from El Camino Hospital Foundation and community philanthropists, the Center developed a pioneering approach to the crisis called AIM to Prevent™, a comprehensive, culturallytailored program that raises awareness, ameliorates heart disease and diabetes risk with advanced screening, lifestyle counseling, and personalized coaching, educates and collaborates with physicians, and conducts research to address the dire health disparity. The Center does not medically manage patients. Rather it works with the patient and his/her physician to better understand the patient’s risk factors and to mitigate them through Lifestyle MEDS™ - meditation, exercise, diet and sleep. The Center has developed four strategic initiatives to focus and guide its efforts: • Outreach – Raise global understanding and awareness of the severity of the pandemic and methods to combat it • Prevention – Screen participants with the AIM to Prevent™ risk reduction program, enabling protective behaviors • Education – Promote early diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle changes to prevent onset and disease progression • Research – Identify causative factors elevating risk; create risk prediction tool; assess program effectiveness
Our Unique Program Men and women who are interested in the AIM to Prevent™ advanced screening program sign up online to participate. An initial heart health risk assessment that encompasses personal, medication and family history, demographics, and lifestyle dynamics, is conducted over the phone. The participant then undergoes a brief physical exam and receives a requisition to complete the advanced laboratory work.