Women’s healthcare takes bold turn at Lifestyle Medicine Summit

October 30, 2013 — The health issues facing today’s woman are clear, but how to effectively address them is not. That concern is what drew more than 750 forward-thinking healthcare practitioners who attended the sold-out second annual Lifestyle Medicine Summit sponsored by Metagenics, held Oct. 4–6 in Chicago.

Practitioners from around the country learned that “lifestyle medicine” represents a shift in the conventional healthcare model to one that empowers women to be an active participant in caring for their health — especially when empowered with the latest information available to weigh healthcare options and associated risks and benefits.

The Summit is the premier forum for advancing lifestyle medicine. This year’s theme “Women’s Health: What Women Really Want,” brought together 18 world-class physicians, research clinicians and other practitioners across a variety of fields to lead discussions on some of today’s top concerns and underlying risk factors that negatively impact a woman’s quality of life. The goal of this year’s Summit was to inform and inspire practitioners with innovative nutritional and lifestyle medicine strategies that give their female patients the tools they need to be healthier. The Summit was once again sponsored by Metagenics Inc., a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company focused on improving health.

“We are proud to host the Lifestyle Medicine Summit to provide a collaborative forum for healthcare practitioners to not only learn new and exciting approaches, but also to connect with other caring, like-minded professionals who are helping to change the modern healthcare experience,” said Willy Pardinas, senior vice president and general manager of the Americas for Metagenics. “There has never been a more opportune time for practitioners to embrace innovative strategies that help patients make meaningful, lasting changes in their health and the way they feel.”

Women of today may be living longer, but they’re not necessarily healthier. In fact, modern living behaviors are contributing factors to the rising tide of many common chronic diseases and conditions — including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, mood disorders, back pain, fatigue, autoimmune disorders, and hormone-related conditions.  Breakout sessions at the Summit provided insights into recent scientific advancements and clinical discoveries in preventing and managing common women’s health issues and bothersome symptoms.

Noteworthy sessions and speakers from the Summit included:

Mark Hyman, MD, six-time New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader in his field, spoke to healthcare practitioners about the five major triggers of autoimmune disease, stating that “less than one-third of those with an autoimmune disease are diagnosed.” Hyman also revealed that 80 percent of those affected are women. “The primary causes of disease are toxins, allergens, microbes, stress, and poor diet. Nutrients like omega-3, zinc, vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin A may help to treat some causes, along with stress management.”

Christiane Northrup, MD, internationally known for her empowering approach to women’s health and wellness, closed the Summit with an earnest discussion of what female patients desire in modern health care. Northrup revealed that probiotics play an important role in training the immune system. “There has been a large increase in autoimmune and allergic diseases in societies that are considered to have very good hygiene,” said Northrup. “These increases may have occurred because our immune systems are not being challenged by pathogenic organisms. Introducing good bacteria like probiotics can support the immune system in a healthy way and help build it up.”

“What I learned at this conference is beyond standard of care and looks more closely at the biology and science of human wellness,” said summit attendee, Dan Harper, MD, integrative medicine family practitioner from Solana Beach, California. “Medicine is traditionally focused on treatment, and this conference focuses on prevention at the molecular level.”

The theme of the 2014 Lifestyle Medicine Summit is “Transformational Patient Care: Powering the Paradigm Shift” and will build on previous events to encompass a broader range of conditions and challenges that may be effectively managed with personalized lifestyle medicine strategies. Another stellar line up of world class speakers will participate. The 2014 Lifestyle Medicine Summit will be held September 26-28 in Nashville, TN at the newly built Omni Hotel. Early registration is encouraged, as previous events have sold out months in advance.

Source: Metagenics Inc.