The Latest Scientific and Medical Discoveries Will Put an End to the Term ‘Disease’

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New discoveries in science and medicine that make it possible to prevent chronic illnesses will transform health care from a disease-based to a health-focused delivery system, according to Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D., FACN, FACB, the chief science officer for Metagenics, Inc., a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company dedicated to reducing chronic illness and improving health. Bland’s address, "The End of the Term ‘Disease’ and the Future of Medicine," was presented at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium in New York, NY, on March 5.

“The End of the Term ‘Disease’ and the Future of Medicine”

“We can now take a systems biology approach to diseases like type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancers of the breast, colon and prostate,” said Dr. Bland, who is internationally know for his research into the science of nutrigenomics – how genes are effected by nutrition. “We have the science to turn back the clock and prevent, even reverse, certain chronic illnesses with appropriate lifestyle changes. This capability will change the focus of medicine from treating acute illness to preventing chronic disease and promoting health.”

His talk explored the convergence of recent discoveries in medicine from molecular and cellular biology, physiology, environmental science, clinical medicine, information science, systems biology, nutritional biochemistry, pharmacology, and the traditional healing arts to shape an understanding of where medicine is going, who will be its practitioners, how will it be delivered, and who will pay for it.

As an example of the chronic illness epidemic in the U.S. today, nearly a third of adult Americans have metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and many other chronic diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that two/thirds of adults with high cholesterol and half of those with high blood pressure are not being treated effectively for these conditions. Therefore, a new solution is needed to overcome America’s epidemic of chronic illness. That solution is a lifestyle medicine approach, helping people to change their lifestyles to lower their risk factors and to better manage or avoid chronic disease.

The effectiveness of Metagenics’ lifestyle medicine approach to reversing metabolic syndrome was recently demonstrated in a 12-week multi-center clinical trial, conducted by three major universities. All subjects were placed on a low-glycemic-load, Mediterranean-style food plan. The preliminary results suggest that while all subjects benefitted from the program, those who supplemented their diet with a specifically designed medical food called, UltraMeal® PLUS 360° had better results in key risk factors for cardiovascular disease: total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and the ratio apoB/apoA-1.

Metagenics has made this lifestyle program accessible to physicians and patients today through programs like FirstLine Therapy™ (www.firstlinetherapy.com). FirstLine Therapy provides physicians with the education and the tools they need to treat patients with lifestyle medicine in order to avoid or reduce risk factors for chronic illnesses. Today, thousands of health care practitioners in the U.S. are using these products and principles to help their patients achieve better health.

About Metagenics, Inc.

Metagenics, Inc. (www.metagenics.com) is a nutrigenomics and lifestyle medicine company focused on reversing chronic illness and improving health. Founded in 1983, Metagenics serves more than 75,000 healthcare providers worldwide through premium quality, science-based medical foods, nutritional formulas, and lifestyle therapy programs to help their patients achieve a lifetime of good health. Metagenics’ scientific staff—among the largest in the nutrigenomics industry—has published more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has been awarded more than 40 international or domestic patents. The company’s educational arm, Metagenics University, collaborates with renowned medical experts to annually deliver more than 200 events designed to help healthcare professionals stay on the leading edge of lifestyle medicine and incorporate nutrition into their clinical practice.

Metagenics maintains its corporate headquarters in San Clemente, CA; R&D headquarters in Gig Harbor, WA; and operating subsidiaries in Brussels, Belgium and Brisbane, Australia.