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Learn more about the Cardiac Metabolic Syndrome Program
Specialists at the Cardiac Metabolic Syndrome Program help patients lose weight and manage cardiac risk factors, including being overweight, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.
Specialists in the Cardiac Metabolic Syndrome Program in the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Corrigan Minehan Heart Center help patients who have metabolic syndrome reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease.
Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of risk factors that can increase a person’s likelihood of developing coronary artery disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. These risk factors include hypertension, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and overweight or obesity.
Our specialists help patients who are at risk for developing or already have developed these conditions to lose weight and manage other cardiac risk factors like hypertension and high cholesterol. Our goal is to provide an action plan plus the support needed to achieve a healthier weight and lifestyle.
Cardiac experts work with each patient’s primary care physician to coordinate treatment and provide a comprehensive personalized plan to improve heart health. This includes establishing a profile of risk and a developing a plan that recommends lifestyle changes, such as improved attention to food choices and nutrition, increased physical activity and stress reduction.
Following a comprehensive evaluation with a team physician and nutritionist a plan is developed that addresses how you can achieve a healthy weight. This evaluation includes:
Patients are required to refrain from smoking, eating or exercising for four hours before this assessment
Patients evaluated through the Cardiac Metabolic Syndrome Program may elect to participate in a unique 12-week program called Learn to be Lean.
Learn to be Lean helps patients learn to manage their lifestyle differently. We know that making changes in food choices, increasing exercise and managing stress can be difficult and hard to maintain long term. Through our program, we help patients identify approaches to daily life that will help them succeed in achieving their health and weight loss goals.
The program meets on Friday afternoons from noon to 3:00 pm, and includes the following components:
Group classes: Group classes cover nutrition, exercise, and thought processes that may influence lifestyle choices and eating behaviors. A nutritionist discusses reading food labels, fats and cholesterol, super market smarts, the effect of diet on blood pressure and strategies for maintaining healthy eating habits at restaurants or during holiday celebrations
Our physicians and nurses cover exercise physiology, target heart rates, importance of aerobic and strength training, metabolism and eating behaviors. Each group member shares his or her experiences and responses.
Supervised aerobic exercise: Patients exercise on a treadmill, stationary cycle or other equipment under the supervision of an exercise physiologist and/or nurse
Strength training: Patients learn a series of strength training exercises to complement their aerobic training and enhance weight loss. This program is designed to be carried out independently at home
Yoga and relaxation: Nurses trained in specialized yoga lead patients through relaxation, breathing exercises and yoga. Techniques, including guided imagery, meditation and yoga, provide patients with tools that can be applied at any time to reduce stress and curb overeating
Individual counseling: Patients meet privately with a program physician and a nutritionist to review their progress and address any individual questions
Mass General is the #1 Research Hospital in America and the only hospital to be recognized in all 16 specialties assessed by U.S. News & World Report.
Our physicians welcome second opinion appointments to review cases and proposed lines of treatment.
Emily Lau, MD, is a member of the class of 2021 in the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Lau shares what drew her to Mass General, the culture of the program and her experience as a trainee during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is announcing two first-of-their-kind procedures in New England today, to treat one of the most common forms of heart valve disease.
Data from the first COVID-19 patients treated at three large Massachusetts hospitals reveal important trends, including disproportionate representation of vulnerable populations, high rates of disease-related complications, and the need for post-discharge, post-acute care and monitoring.
As the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, Massachusetts General Hospital leaders are discussing the transition to strategies for recovery and wellness.
A team led by investigators at Mass General and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard recently found that applying “polygenic risk scores” can identify at-risk patients who are not presently identified through standard clinical evaluations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mass General Corrigan Minehan Heart Center is providing general and surgical care for our patients. We have taken unprecedented steps to ensure all office visits, procedures and surgeries are welcoming and safe. We have also expanded our virtual visit offerings.
Learn more about the Cardiac Metabolic Syndrome Program
