FirstLine Therapy
Lifestyle Program
The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend therapeutic lifestyle changes as a primary therapy for the treatment of a variety of health conditions.
Why is there a need for FirstLine Therapy?
- Because chronic illness is often related to patients' lifestyle choices
- Because experts now re-commended that treatment for many chronic disorders include Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)
- Because it's difficult to address patients lifestyle issues in the context of a busy clinical practice
- AND, because FirstLine Therapy makes TLC
- Easy to implement
- Cost-effective for patients
What does a TLC program entail?
Addressing the underlying causes of chronic illnesses as a foundationof treatment and helping patients achieve better health through:
- Diet
- Exercise
- Dietary supplements
- Stress management
Is there scientific justification for TLC?
Research supports the use of TLC for a variety of conditions, including:
- Hyperlipidemia
- Hypertension
- Insulin resistance syndrome
- Type 2 diabetes
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Overweight and obesity
- Sarcopenia
- Healthy aging
Is TLC an endorsed protocol?
The following leading health organizations recommend TLC as a fundamental therapy for many chronic disorders:
- National Institutes of Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- American Heart Association
- Arthritis Foundation
- North American Menopause Society
- American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
- National Institute on Aging
Is FirstLine Therapy a weight-loss program?
No. FirstLine Therapy addresses body composition—promoting maintenance of lean body mass (muscle mass) while patients are losing fat. FirstLine Therapy Integrates body composition testing as a part of patient assessment. Most programs only measure weight or body mass index (BMI) and do not offer strategies to maintain or enhance lean body mass while the patient loses fat mass. In fact, many programs result in a loss of muscle mass.
Why is body composition an important measurement?
Weight and BMI do not evaluate body compartments (water, fat, lean tissue), so they cannot measure if weight loss is due to a loss of fat mass or fat-free mass (muscle). Retaining muscle is important because muscle provides protein for antibody production, wound healing, and white blood cell production during illness. Research has shown that chronically ill patients have a lower fat-free mass and a higher fat mass.
How do you measure body composition?
FirstLine Therapy recommends bioelectrical impedence analysis (BIA) as a means of accurately measuring body composition. BIA is a simple, in-office assessment that also serves as an excellent measure of TLC progress.
What role do dietary supplements play in FirstLine Therapy?
FirstLine Therapy integrates dietary supplements with diet, exercise, and stress management. It also offers the option of using a medical food to promote healthy body composition, and provides guidelines for science-based supplementation as therapeutic options for individual patients, such as plant sterols/stanols for lowering cholesterol and targeted nutrients to support insulin sensitivity.
How do I get started with FirstLine Therapy?
Contact our office to set up an appointment.
