Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease, is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries, which supply your heart muscle with oxygen-rich blood.  Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol (ko-LES-ter-ol), calcium, and other substances found in the blood.  Major risk factors for developing CAD include unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, age, and sedentary lifestyle.  Our program supports you in identifying your risks, coaching you on important lifestyle changes, and supports your relationship with your health care provider and reinforces adherence to and understanding of prescribed treatment.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. In some cases, the heart can’t fill with enough blood. In other cases, the heart can’t pump blood to the rest of the body with enough force. Common causes of HF include coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, while being overweight, age 65 or older and/or African-American can increase your risk of HF.  Our program supports you in minimizing the effects of your HF on your daily activities, ensuring proper fluid intake to reduce stress on your heart, and addressing lifestyle changes that contribute to HF symptoms.  And we work to strengthen your relationship with your health care provider to ensure early diagnosis, appropriate evaluation and treatments to stay healthier longer. 

Hyperlipidemia means that there is too much cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. These are types of fats and having too much fat in the blood can be serious. High blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels may not cause symptoms, so many people are unaware that their cholesterol and triglyceride levels are too high. However, individuals with high levels of these fats in their blood have a greater chance of getting heart disease.  High cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood can be controlled with a healthy diet, weight control, and moderate activity levels.  Other contributors that are not able to be controlled include heredity, age and sex.  Our program encourages you to obtain preventive and routine cholesterol and triglyceride testing and supports reduction in these blood fat levels through dietary education, weight management techniques and the ability to consult with a registered dietician.  We also support medication treatment prescribed by your health care provider. 

Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure.  The term "blood pressure" refers to the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood. If this pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage the body in many ways. Knowing your blood pressure is important as high blood pressure can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body.  And there are usually no symptoms until the damage has occurred. Certain medical problems, such as chronic kidney disease, thyroid disease, and sleep apnea, may cause high blood pressure along with aging and race.  Our program helps you manage your hypertension by coaching you on specific lifestyle changes, such as coping with stress, maintaining a healthy weight, becoming tobacco free, and adhering to prescribed medicines.  Additionally, we will help to coordinate visits to your health care provider to get your blood pressure monitored to ensure adequacy of treatment. 

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to your head, organs, and limbs. Over time, plaque can harden and narrow the arteries and limit the flow of oxygen to your organs and other parts of your body.  PVD usually affects the legs, but also can affect the arteries that carry blood from your heart to your head, arms, kidneys, and stomach. Major risk factors for PVD include smoking, high amount of fat in the blood, high blood pressure, and high amounts of sugar in the blood.  Most treatment is preventive and most risk factors avoidable.  Our program focuses on preventive health, reinforcing treatments that eliminate or reduce risk factors, and empowerment to make important lifestyle changes to delay complications of PVD.  We promote a strong medical home with your health care provider so they can monitor and initiate treatment as necessary. 

A stroke or "brain attack" occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body) or a blood vessel (a tube through which the blood moves through the body) breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When this happens, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. Controllable risk factors include high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, high cholesterol, diabetes, tobacco use and smoking, alcohol use, and physical inactivity resulting in overweight health status.    Uncontrollable risk factors include age, gender, race, family history, and previous stroke.  Our program educates you on knowing symptoms of a stroke, your risk factors, how to change lifestyle behaviors to ones that lower your chance for stroke, and increasing exercise to support circulation throughout the body. 

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is often labeled a “mini-stroke. It occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is briefly interrupted. TIA symptoms, which usually occur suddenly, are similar to those of stroke but most symptoms of a TIA disappear within an hour, although they may persist for up to 24 hours.  Unlike a stroke, there is no permanent damage to the brain when a TIA is over.  TIAs are often warning signs that a person is at risk for a more serious and debilitating stroke. Our program helps you understand your risk factors, such as high blood pressure, smoking, heart disease, carotid artery disease, diabetes, and heavy use of alcohol. We can coordinate assistance from your health care provider to reduce and eliminate these factors, as well as achieve lifestyle changes such as eating a balanced diet, maintaining healthy weight, exercising, and enrolling in smoking and alcohol cessation programs.

Asthma is a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways. Asthma causes recurring periods of wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. The coughing often occurs at night or early in the morning.  Risk factors for asthma include heredity and certain respiratory or viral infections during childhood.  Our program supports your awareness of asthma symptoms and assists you in getting treatment when you first notice them.  We also assist you in knowing your medicines and taking them as prescribed and following an action plan developed by your health care provider.  You will also become knowledgeable about potential triggers in your home and other places you frequently visit, how to minimize or eliminate these triggers and most importantly how to quickly respond to a sudden asthma attack. 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, is a progressive disease that makes it hard to breathe and will get worse over time. COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other symptoms.  The term "COPD" includes two main conditions – emphysema and bronchitis.  Most people who have COPD have both conditions.  Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD as well as other causes such as long-term exposure to other lung irritants, such as air pollution, chemical fumes, or dust. Our program is focused on coaching you on techniques to relieve your symptoms, steps to take to slow the progression of your disease such as smoking cessation, improving your exercise tolerance, and preventing and treating complications from COPD by supporting your adherence to prescribed medicines and vaccinations. 

Cystic fibrosis, or CF, is an inherited disease of the secretory glands, including the glands that make mucus and sweat.  "Inherited" means that the disease is passed through the genes from parents to children. Cystic fibrosis is diagnosed using a sweat test and currently has no cure. Cystic fibrosis can also cause gastrointestinal problems and diabetes.  However, our program is designed to assist you in minimizing the effects of the condition by teaching you how to prevent and control lung infections, provide enough hydration for the body to liquefy mucous secretions and obtain enough nutritional therapy to support healing and overall health.  We can also assist in coordinating appointments to CF specialists obtain the necessary treatment such as chest physical therapy (CPT) and medicines.

Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses sugar in the blood for energy.  A healthy pancreas helps the body adjust the amount of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, to balance the level of sugar in the blood.  There are two main types of diabetes. People with Type 1 diabetes are completely unable to produce insulin by the pancreas and control the level of sugar in their blood. People with Type 2 diabetes can produce insulin, but their body’s cells don't respond to it and the body needs insulin to process the sugar. Obesity is the number one contributor to Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.  Our program assists you in learning how to identify signs and symptoms of diabetes to respond to them quickly to prevent a bout of high or low blood sugar.  We also coach you on nutrition and weight management methods as well as understanding serious conditions that may occur with diabetes, such as kidney, eye, nerve and heart disease.  Our program will also help you understand and be consistent in taking your medications which are important to maintaining stable sugar levels in the blood.   

Migraines are chronic headaches that can cause significant pain for hours or even days. Symptoms can be so severe that all you can think about is finding a dark, quiet place to lie down. Some migraines are preceded or accompanied by sensory warning symptoms or signs (auras), such as flashes of light, blind spots or tingling in your arm or leg. A migraine is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.  Our program will teach you key signs and symptoms, triggers that bring on a migraine, risk factors that make you more prone to migraines and when to see your health care provider and/or seek immediate treatment.   We will also work with you to make specific lifestyle changes that help to minimize or avoid triggers.  We will also support you in your understanding of and adherence in taking medications that are specific for preventing and treating migraines and related symptoms. 

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially debilitating disease in which your body's immune system attacks the protective sheath that covers your nerves. This interferes with the communication between your brain and the rest of your body. Ultimately, this may result in deterioration of the nerves themselves, a process that's not reversible.  Symptoms vary widely, depending on the amount of damage and which particular nerves are affected. Although multiple sclerosis can occur at any age, it most often begins in people between the ages of 20 and 40. Risk factors for developing MS include being female vs. male, family history, previous infections, race, geographic location, or other diseases such as thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.  Our program helps you prepare for appointments, testing, treatments and therapies, and understanding medications.  Additionally, we coach you on developing important coping skills and lifestyle changes that include relaxation techniques to improve your overall mental and physical health. 

Epilepsy, or seizure disorder, results from the generation of electrical signals inside the brain, causing recurring seizures whose symptoms may vary. Even mild seizures may require treatment, because they can be dangerous if they occur during activities like driving or swimming. Treatment — which generally includes medications and sometimes surgery — usually eliminates or reduces the frequency and intensity of seizures.  Epilepsy has no identifiable causes in some cases while others are linked to family history, head trauma, medical disorders, dementia, developmental disorders and viral infections.  Our program will help you understand the type of seizure(s) you may be experiencing, understanding when to see your health care provider or seek emergency medical care, potential problems that may occur when having a seizure, tests and treatments, and prescribed medications.  Our program will also assist you in lifestyle changes and developing coping skills to address the impact of seizures on your daily life. 

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic digestive disease that occurs when stomach acid or, occasionally, bile flows back (refluxes) into your food pipe (esophagus). The backwash of acid irritates the lining of your esophagus and causes GERD signs and symptoms.  Risk factors to developing GERD include obesity, hiatal hernia, pregnancy, smoking, asthma and diabetes.  Signs and symptoms of GERD include acid reflux and heartburn and can mimic a heart attack.  Our program supports your understanding of key signs and symptoms, when to see your health care provider, and potential problems from untreated GERD.  We will also help you to know what initial treatments are recommended, methods you can use to adhere to prescribed medications, and ways to make changes in current life habits that will reduce GERD symptoms. 

Hepatitis is a swelling of the liver which helps your body digest food, store energy and remove poisons. Viruses cause most cases of hepatitis although abuse of alcohol can lead to hepatitis.. The type of hepatitis is named for the virus that causes it – Hepatitis A to E.  Doctors call the inflammation that lasts less than six months acute hepatitis and inflammation that lasts longer than six months chronic hepatitis. Risk factors for getting hepatitis vary by type of hepatitis but can include being a frequent traveler to foreign countries, being an intravenous drug user, persons with clotting factor disorders, and persons living in communities with high rates of disease.  Our program will support you in learning how to identify symptoms of hepatitis, how to get properly diagnosed, and how to care for your liver including how to eat and what to avoid.  We can also assist you in coordinating important care and treatment. 

IBD covers a group of disorders in which the intestines become inflamed (red and swollen), probably as a result of an immune reaction of the body against its own intestinal tissue. Inflammatory bowel disease includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease usually run a waxing and waning course in the intensity and severity of illness. When there is severe inflammation, the disease is considered to be in an active stage, and the person experiences a flare-up of the condition. When the degree of inflammation is less (or absent), the person usually is without symptoms and the disease is considered to be in remission.  Our program supports your understanding of the difference between Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, how to minimize the associated symptoms, and what lifestyle changes will assist you in slowing recurring bouts of illness.  Our program will also support your awareness of available treatments and the importance of having a medical home. 

A peptic ulcer is a sore in the inner lining of the stomach or upper small intestine. Ulcers develop when the intestine or stomach's protective layer is broken down. When this happens, digestive juices can damage the intestine or stomach tissue. These strong juices can injure the esophagus, a tube that leads from your throat to your stomach.  Appropriate treatment cures most ulcers and allows symptoms to go away quickly.  The two most common causes of peptic ulcers are an infection by a bacteria or the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).   Our program will support you in understanding symptoms of a peptic ulcer, how to get accurately diagnosed, and available treatment options.  Your health coach can support you in lifestyle changes that will help to minimize symptoms. 

Low back pain is pain that occurs in your back anywhere below the ribs and above the legs, and is either acute or short-term, generally lasting from a few days to a few weeks, or chronic, where pain persists for more than 3 months and often progresses.  Low back pain is often caused by overuse, strain, or injury. Aging plays a part too. Your bones and muscles tend to lose strength as you age, which increases your risk of injury. In some people, low back pain is the result of arthritis, broken vertebrae often called compression fractures caused by bone loss or osteoporosis, a spinal birth defect, or illness.  Low back pain can become chronic if you are under stress or depressed.  Our program assists you in learning about proper body mechanics which support your back, exercises and methods to achieve a healthy weight to promote abdominal strength, and the stages and treatments for low back pain. 

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that most typically affects the small joints in your hands and feet, causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity.  Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body's tissues. In addition to causing joint problems, rheumatoid arthritis can also affect your whole body with fevers and fatigue.  Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than in men and generally occurs between the ages of 40 and 60. Our program supports you in managing your rheumatoid arthritis to minimize symptoms, knowing how to manage and relieve pain, and what medications and therapies are available to you.  And when necessary, we can assist you in understanding surgical intervention options your health care provider may discuss with you.

SLE is an autoimmune disease that may include both acute and chronic inflammation of internal organs of the body.  Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the body's tissues are attacked by its own immune system, which is designed to fight infection. One of the ways that the immune system fights infections is by producing antibodies that bind to the microbes. People with SLE produce abnormal antibodies in their blood that target tissues within their own body rather than foreign infectious agents.  Our program can assist you in symptom identification, understanding criteria and testing used for diagnosis, and available medications and treatments to minimize inflammation and effects of the disease.  We will also support you in making lifestyle changes important to managing your SLE.