How Pasadena-Based Nudj Health is Revolutionizing Cardiac Rehab with Virtual Care

For millions of Americans living with heart disease, the road to recovery can be long and daunting. Many patients struggle to access or adhere to the traditional model of cardiac rehabilitation, which involves frequent visits to a hospital or clinic for supervised exercise and education.

But what if there was a way to bring cardiac rehab to the comfort of your own home, with personalized support from a team of experts and peers? That’s the vision of Nudj Health, a Pasadena-based health service that leverages technology and behavioral science to deliver evidence-based mental health and lifestyle interventions.

In partnership with Ornish Lifestyle Medicine by Sharecare, Nudj Health has launched its new Nudj Cardiac Complete program, which offers an exclusive Virtual Intensive Cardiac Rehab (v-ICR) and evidence-based Collaborative Care to patients with heart disease. The program aims to enhance access, adoption, and adherence to cardiac rehab, while improving outcomes and reducing costs.

The Nudj Cardiac Complete program is the first of its kind to combine v-ICR and Collaborative Care, two proven approaches that have been shown to improve the health and well-being of patients with heart disease. V-ICR is a home-based version of the Ornish Program, a comprehensive lifestyle intervention that has been scientifically proven to reverse heart disease and other chronic conditions.

Collaborative Care is a team-based model of care that integrates primary care, specialty care, and behavioral health care to address the physical and mental health needs of patients with chronic conditions.

By offering these services through a virtual platform, Nudj Health hopes to reach more patients who could benefit from cardiac rehab, especially those who face barriers such as distance, transportation, cost, or stigma.

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. However, only 20% of the nearly 1.3 million eligible U.S. population participates in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation each year.

The Nudj Cardiac Complete program seeks to address this gap and improve the health condition of individuals who have experienced heart failure, heart attacks, or undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. The program also aims to empower patients to take charge of their own health and well-being, by providing them with the tools, skills, and support they need to make lasting lifestyle changes.

“A patient’s lifestyle choices, social determinants of health, and emotional well-being are critical factors in preventing, treating, and potentially reversing heart disease,” Yuri Sudhakar, founder and chief executive officer of Nudj Health, said in a statement. “Ornish Lifestyle Medicine pioneered the integration of lifestyle changes directly into patient care, and we are so excited to include the virtual program in our Nudj Cardiac Complete offering to physician groups across the country.”

The statement said a recent study comparing Virtual Intensive Cardiac Rehab with standard cardiac rehab programs showed notable benefits, including a 3.4% decrease in body weight and an 11.3% reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Major adverse cardiac events were also found to be less likely in the v-ICR group, the statement said.

Ornish Lifestyle Medicine runs a 72-hour program to reverse heart disease and improve heart function without medication or surgery. The program focuses on nutrition, fitness, stress management, and love and support, providing each program cohort with a dedicated team of clinical experts.

Dr. Dean Ornish, Ornish Lifestyle Medicine’s founder, said he is excited that Nudj Health will now offer their intensive cardiac rehabilitation program virtually. Cardiac Complete makes Ornish Lifestyle Medicine available to everyone, wherever they live, removing barriers to access and reducing health inequities, he said.

“Our program remains the only one scientifically proven in randomized controlled trials to reverse the progression of coronary heart disease with lifestyle changes alone,” Dr. Ornish said. “Medicare began providing coverage for it in 2010 and via telehealth platforms like Zoom in 2021, the first time they covered a lifestyle medicine program for reversing heart disease.”

Nudj Health said Cardiac Complete offers three key care pathway services:

• Cardiac Wellness/Risk Reduction: A monthly American College of Lifestyle Medicine-certified program delivering lifestyle and behavioral health modifications to patients.

• Virtual Intensive Cardiac Rehab (v-ICR): A virtual extension of hospital-based cardiac rehab for patients who experience a major cardiac event.

• Post v-ICR Care: Continuation of care post-rehab to help patients sustain and build on their success.

For more information, visit www.nudjhealth.com.