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January 17, 2019
From ‘dead on the road’ to healthy and active
By uclahealth 
On Feb. 22, 2016, Michael Bannon was taking his daily morning bike ride when tragedy struck. Somewhere along his one hour route through Santa Monica, Bannon, now 57, suffered a massive heart attack and was left “dead on the road,” he says. A passerby found him and started chest compressions; then emergency personnel resuscitated him […]
Tags: cardiology, cholesterol, Dr. Melkon Hacobian, Dr. Peyman Benharash, LDL, Ornish Lifestyle Medicine, patient story, plant-based diet, The Checkup, UCLA Ornish Lifestyle Medicine program, weight loss
January 2, 2019
By uclahealth
“Having heart disease is not easy, and finding out the only cure is a heart transplant is really difficult,” says 24-year-old Iris Franco, who received a heart transplant at 16 years old at UCLA Health. “My younger sister became ill when she was 10 years old. They discovered she suffered from restrictive cardiomyopathy, and they […]
Tags: featured, heart disease, heart transplant, restrictive cardiomyopathy
January 2, 2019
Extensivist program helps high-risk patients manage health and avoid hospitalization
By uclahealth
Story highlights Launched in July 2017, the UCLA Health Extensivist Program provides care for more than 400 complex patients. The program is set to expand to UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica and outlying communities in 2019. A new program launched last year by the UCLA Department of Medicine is helping patients at high risk for hospitalization […]
Tags: acupuncture, cerebrovascular disease, Chronic Kidney Disease, congestive heart failure, Dr. Andrew Shubov, Dr. Sun Yoo, mind-body practices, organ transplantation, primary care medical home, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Center for East-West Medicine, UCLA Health Extensivist Program
January 2, 2019
On-site 3D printing helps physicians prepare for complex surgeries
By uclahealth
Story highlights After a successful pilot program, UCLA Heart and Vascular Services launches a Structural and Congenital Cardiovascular 3D Printing Program. UCLA Health is among a select few centers that can create 3D heart models in less than 48 hours using on-site technology. 3D heart models help doctors practice and prepare for surgeries, ensuring […]
Tags: 3D echocardiograms, 3D heart models, Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center, cardiologists, Cardiovascular 3D Printing, Congenital Cardiovascular 3D Printing Program, CT scans, Dr. Daniel Levi, Dr. Jamil Aboulhosn, Dr. Sanjay Sinha, MRIs, UCLA Heart and Vascular Services
December 17, 2018
Heart, lung transplant recipients and families gather to celebrate gift of life
By Amy Albin 
Sean Keoni Craig never could have imagined he would be a guest at the UCLA Heart and Lung Transplant holiday party held in early December. After all, it was only in September that the Hawaii resident traveled to California to celebrate his 52nd birthday at Disneyland. Before he made it to the amusement park, however, […]
Tags: Dr. Abbas Ardehali, Dr. Joseph Lynch III, heart and lung transplantation, heart transplant, lung transplant, organ donor
December 12, 2018
By uclahealth
“After a patient has a cardiovascular event, I really advocate that they try to resume the activities they enjoy and the things they have a passion for,” says Dr. Samuel Daneshvar, director of preventative cardiology and clinical cardiologist at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. “The UCLA Health Ornish Lifestyle Program gives our patients the confidence […]
Tags: cardiologist, cardiovascular event, Dr. Samuel Daneshvar, heart attack, physical activities, preventative cardiology, UCLA Health Ornish Lifestyle Program, UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica
December 12, 2018
By uclahealth
“I got into the exercise world because I wanted to make people better,” says Ernest Sacco, manager of cardiac and pulmonary rehab at UCLA Health. “We have three different types of programs: we have traditional cardiac rehab, we have pulmonary rehab and we have the UCLA Ornish Lifestyle Medicine program. I think this is a […]
Tags: cardiac and pulmonary rehab, cardiac rehab, exercise, heart disease, pulmonary rehab, UCLA Ornish Lifestyle Medicine program
November 20, 2018
By uclahealth
“For the last 40 years I’ve directed a series of studies showing how powerful changes in diet and lifestyle can not only prevent disease, but help reverse it,” says Dr. Dean Ornish, creator of the UCLA Health Ornish Lifestyle Medicine program. Pictured is the care provider team. “When a patient is put on drugs to […]
Tags: blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, diet, Integrated Medicine, lifestyle, UCLA Health Ornish Lifestyle Medicine
October 31, 2018
By uclahealth
“By the second or third week, the light bulb suddenly went on,” says Richard Sassin, pictured right, a cardiology patient who completed the nine-week intensive UCLA Health Ornish Lifestyle Medicine program and returned to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to present a painting to Dr. Dean Ornish, pictured far left, and Dr. Samuel Daneshvar, pictured […]
Tags: Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Samuel Daneshvar, integrative medicine, lifestyle program, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Health Ornish Lifestyle Medicine
October 31, 2018
From Overwhelming to Life-Changing
By uclahealth
“At first, what’s expected of you seems overwhelming,” says Richard Sassin, a cardiology patient who joined the UCLA Health Ornish Lifestyle Medicine program, an intensive nine-week integrative medicine and lifestyle program. “I was with a group of nine people doing exercises together, joking together and getting to know one another. When you had those feelings […]
Tags: featured, integrative medicine, lifestyle program, UCLA Health Ornish Lifestyle Medicine
