Medical Nutrition Therapy brought to you by Iowa Avenue

Sept. 20, 2008 - PRLog -- Research demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of medical nutrition therapy:

— University of Virginia School of Medicine reported that an RD (registered dietitian) case management approach to lifestyle care can improve diverse indicators of health, including weight, waist circumference, health-related quality of life, and use of prescription medications, among obese persons with type 2 diabetes. These results were seen with a minimal cost of $350 per year per patient.

— Pfizer Corporation projected $728,772 in annual savings from reduced cardiac claims
of their employees from an on-site nutrition/exercise intervention program.

— Massachusetts General Hospital reported that participants receiving group MNT in a
6-month randomized trial had a 6 percent decrease in total and LDL-cholesterol levels,
compared with the group not receiving MNT. The non-MNT group had no reduction in
total cholesterol or LDL levels. The study revealed a savings of $4.28 for each dollar
spent on MNT, much less than the cost of statin therapy.

— The University of California Irvine demonstrated lipid drug eligibility was obviated in
34 of 67 subjects, the estimated annual cost savings from the avoidance of lipid
medication was $60,652.

— U.S. Department of Defense saved $3.1 million in the first year of a nutrition therapy
program utilizing RDs counseling 636,222 patients with cardiovascular disease,
diabetes and renal disease.

— Oxford Health Plan saved $10 for every $1 spent on nutrition counseling for at risk
elderly patients. Monthly costs for Medicare claims alone tumbled from $66,000 before
the nutrition program to $45,000 afterwards. As a result, the health plan continued use
of nutrition screenings.

__MNT can be used to promote health and functionality, and affects the quality of life for
many Americans. MNT is also an effective disease management component that lessens
chronic disease risk, slows disease progression and reduces symptoms... It is time to make the MNT benefit more preventive in nature, and combat diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in the early stages of the diseases.

Iowa Avenue’s Registered Dietitians provide MNT and other nutrition services for a variety of diseases and conditions including:

— Diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, Gestational
— Renal Disease: insufficiency, chronic failure, transplantation
— Cardiovascular Diseases: hypertension, dyslipidemia, congestive heart failure
— Pulmonary Disease: COPD
— Weight Management: overweight/obesity, bariatric surgery, eating disorders
— Oncology
— Women’s Health: pregnancy, osteoporosis, anemia
— Immunocompromise: food allergy, HIV/AIDS
— Pediatrics: infant/child feeding, failure-to-thrive, inborn errors of metabolism
— Nutritional Support: oral, enteral, parenteral
— GI Disorders: celiac disease, cirrhosis, Crohn’s disease
— Disease Prevention: general wellness

In our fast paced world, Professional Registered Dietitian counseling will become the norm rather than the exception. It may not be for everyone, but, if you have read this far, you are a candidate for online counseling.

Iowa Avenue, http://www.iowaavenue.com currently offers Unlimited Email Support from a Registered Dietitian from the efficiency and privacy of your personal computer.

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Iowa Avenue, http://www.iowaavenue.com, is a dynamic healthy-living social community connecting people in a meaningful way for a meaningful purpose. It's about health, fitness, and weight loss, with a little fun thrown in for good measure.