Personalized Lifestyle Medicine: A New Paradigm for Better Health

The traditional medical paradigm has primarily been to treat those facing a disorder, disease, or diagnosis by focusing on symptoms instead of root-cause medicine. Generally, the current model of medicine and the focus on prescriptions as the primary treatment modality is just not working. Although there are several public health recommendations concerning the prevention of disease, whether it be from the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, or the American Diabetes Association, the information disseminated from these sources seems to be somewhat ineffective in creating shifts toward decreasing the diagnoses of disease and improving health outcomes. According to the CDC, 6 in 10 Americans live with at least one chronic disease (Diabetes, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, e.g.). The CDC also states that “most chronic diseases can be prevented by eating well, being physically active, avoiding tobacco and excessive drinking, and getting regular health screenings.” In 2010 the US Department of Health & Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture published what was considered extensive guidelines for Americans, describing what comprised of a healthy diet. They included the incorporation of nutrient-dense foods (in proper amounts) to help maintain an ideal body weight. Yet, with these recommendations, we are not seeing a decrease in chronic ailments. For decades the blanket guidance given to the public regarding their health has been confusing for many. Suppose you’re looking outside the advice from your medical provider or government-led sources for information, and you’ve tried to improve your well-being. In that case, whether through exercise, nutrition, or spiritual outlets, you may know what a task it can be to field the landscape of the abundant amounts of information you can find without hardly looking. It has become incredibly difficult to filter through the cascade of new diets, studies, new policies, and pills. We can do so much to change our health and the trajectory of our lives by paying attention to the industry, finding inspiration, and discovering new ways to improve how we feel, look and focus. However, we can also spend too much time and money and possibly end up doing more harm than good. There’s a reason the nutrition industry is predicted to hit $465.4 billion by 2025. Because while we’d like to think that this new diet or superfood will be the end of our search for optimal health, what works for some certainly does not work for all…or even most. So what kind of change do we need, and how will it help?

Fortunately, more and more research is coming out daily, showing us how we differ regarding weight loss, cancer and health risks, exercise and diet recommendations, and individual stress responses. However, we’re also discovering that the right practitioner can utilize novel tools to make more specific, personalized recommendations. These personalized tools include an array of evolving technologies in the areas of genomics, epigenetics, life and behavioral sciences, diagnostics and clinical medicine, and systems biology (Minich, Bland). For example, variants in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene impact absorption, metabolism, and utilization of vitamin D, perhaps making dietary intervention, supplementation, and increased sun exposure a possible requirement for better health outcomes. This variant is especially prudent, given that the VDR gene is involved in inflammation, insulin-like growth factor signaling, and estrogen-related pathways. Knowing a patient has this variant in their genetic profile, investigating symptoms, and examining their lab work to verify if the SNP is expressing, can lead the practitioner and patient in the right direction when trying to prevent and improve one’s health.

According to Deanna M Minich and Jeffrey S Bland from the Personalized Lifestyle Institute, personalized lifestyle medicine “encompasses a broad array of disciplines in order to effectively prevent and treat disease, including the interface of technological advances with modern medicine discoveries for eventual dissemination into clinical medicine approaches.” While the guidelines for the general public, mentioned earlier in this article, have been average, blanket recommendations to get people on the right path, those guidelines do not consider an individual’s genetics or environment. Rather than sticking with the status quo of preventative medicine through generalized recommendations, Personalized Lifestyle Medicine may be much more successful in helping with the prevention and treatment of disease. Using the new technology, experienced practitioners, and customized recommendations, an individualized plan may give people a much better and more direct understanding of where they are, where to go and how to get there successfully.

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