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20Lighter Announces Poster Presentations at the National Rural Health Association’s 45th Annual Rural Health Conference and Health Equity Pre-Conference

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20Lighter Announces Poster Presentations at the National Rural Health Association’s 45th Annual Rural Health Conference and Health Equity Pre-Conference

Clinical data presentations highlight the effectiveness of 20Lighter’s cardiometabolic health program in reducing risk of cardiovascular disease development and progression in younger patients and rural locations.

 

Little Rock, AR. – May. 5, 2022 — 20Lighter, LLC, a private company developing a unique, comprehensive telehealth program aimed at improving risk and burden of cardiovascular disease through reductions of modifiable clinical risk factors including visceral adiposity and chronic inflammation today announced two poster presentations at the NHRA’s Health Equity Pre-Conference and Annual Rural Health Conference in Albuquerque, NM, from May 10-13, 2022.

“Our goal is enabling the best possible health outcomes and quality of life for our patients. As a healthcare provider, I’ve seen first-hand that the health and quality of life of our neighbors in rural, underserved, minority communities is far worse than in other parts of the nation,” said Gerald Dembrowski, DC, 20Lighter’s co-founder and Chief Medical Officer. “It’s a privilege and honor to begin providing the tools, knowledge, and science behind 20Lighter to our neighbors in these underserved, minority communities through our partners in Arkansas. Together we are changing our rural communities, one life at a time,” he added. 

The presentations entitled “Reduction of Visceral Adiposity for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention” and “Addressing Cardiovascular Health Disparities in the Arkansas Delta” will be presented by the company’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jessica Barnes, PhD, who is an adjunct assistant professor in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Key findings reported in the poster presentations highlight the potential of 20Lighter’s telehealth program to be effective in the preventative setting, in younger patient populations, and in engaging with rural residents where cardiovascular disease disparities are devastating communities.

“It’s a pleasure to be sharing our work with the rural health community,” said Barnes, “and this will be our first appearance at a conference dedicated to improving healthcare and health outcomes in rural underserved locations and look forward to engaging with the attendees.” 

 

About the National Rural Health Association

The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is a national nonprofit membership organization with more than 21,000 members. The association’s mission is to provide leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education and research. NRHA’s 45th Annual Rural Health Conference, Rural Hospital Innovation Summit, and Health Equity Conference will be held in Albuquerque, NM May 10-13th. For more, visit RuralHealth.us.

About 20Lighter, LLC
20Lighter is a unique, comprehensive cardiometabolic telehealth program, delivered virtually over 2 months via smartphone. The program incorporates patented treatment algorithms providing a personalized approach to better cardiovascular and metabolic health. A multimodal approach enables patients to achieve clinically meaningful improvements of visceral adiposity and chronic inflammation, blood pressure, HbA1c, blood lipids, and CVD risk and health. 20Lighter clinical data has been presented at over two dozen international medical conferences, including the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific and Hypertension Sessions, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Meeting, and is the subject of six peer-reviewed publications. For more information on 20Lighter’s work improving cardiovascular disease disparities, visit www.20Lighter.com/cvd

 

 

Media Contact
Jessica W. Barnes, PhD
CEO & Co-founder
media@20lighter.com

 

20Lighter Announces Major Collaboration & Partnership with Rural Health Project for Underserved Communities in Arkansas

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20Lighter Announces Major Collaboration & Partnership with Rural Health Project for Underserved Communities in Arkansas

20Lighter contributes to the UAMS project’s holistic approach to improving health disparities in rural underserved and minority communities.

 

Little Rock, AR. – May. 3, 2022 — 20Lighter, LLC, a private company developing a unique, comprehensive telehealth program aimed at improving risk and burden of cardiovascular disease through reductions of modifiable clinical risk factors including visceral adiposity and chronic inflammation today announced its participation as a partner in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Heart Healthy Communities (HHC), a novel engagement & intervention platform focused on underserved, low wealth communities with health outcome disparities in the Arkansas Delta Region. The project, formerly known as the UAMS Arkansas Lincoln Project, is housed within the Division of Cardiology at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

A coalition of local, county, state, and private sector key stakeholders are mobilized under the HHC umbrella, through a highly organized and specific community health worker-led neighborhood-based strategy, bridging the gap between social resources, health care services and the rural communities they serve. Importantly, HHC adopts a holistic approach that equally values primary disease prevention and acute medical care to maximize its impact in the community. The goal is a successful heart disease prevention strategy prioritizing community engagement, access to safe and effective cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction, with a long-term focus on the rebalancing of rural health equity.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this effort changing the way preventative care and heart disease treatment are delivered to those with little access and great need,” said Gerald Dembrowski, DC, 20Lighter’s Chief Medical Officer and co-founder, “and we look forward to maximizing this opportunity to reduce CVD disparities and improve the quality of life in underserved, minority communities across the state of Arkansas, country and around the world.” 

The partnership is already yielding benefits for ADR residents, as initial pilot data was presented last month at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Meeting in Washington DC. That data highlighted the ability of 20Lighter’s mobile health program to engage with rural Phillips County residents and its impact on health outcomes in African American women at risk of, or diagnosed with, CVD.

“This is an amazing opportunity to make a real difference in communities often overlooked by policymakers and also to differentiate 20Lighter by showcasing its value in changing the trajectory of CVD development and progression,” said the company’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jessica Barnes, PhD.

Dr. Barnes and  Irion “Chip” Pursell, MPH, RN, BSN, principal investigator of UAMS Heart Healthy Communities and director of Cardiovascular Disease Primary Prevention in the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology discussed the design, goals, and future of HHC in a recent Rural Matters Podcast episode titled: “Improving Heart Health in Rural America with Dr. Jessica Barnes and Chip Pursell”. Rural Matters, hosted by Michelle Rathman, is a biweekly, 30-minute podcast about rural education, business, and health focused on increasing awareness and expanding the dialogue on the most important issues facing rural stakeholders.

About 20Lighter, LLC
20Lighter is a unique, comprehensive cardiometabolic telehealth program, delivered virtually over 2 months via smartphone. The program incorporates patented treatment algorithms providing a personalized approach to better cardiovascular and metabolic health. A multimodal approach enables patients to achieve better health through clinically meaningful improvements of visceral adiposity, chronic inflammation, blood pressure, HbA1c, blood lipids, and CVD risk. 20Lighter clinical data has been presented at over two dozen international medical conferences, including the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific and Hypertension Sessions, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Meeting, and is the subject of six peer-reviewed publications. For more information on 20Lighter’s work improving cardiovascular disease disparities, visit www.20Lighter.com/cvd

Media Contact
Jessica W. Barnes, PhD
CEO & Co-founder
media@20lighter.com

 

20Lighter Announces First 12 Patients Enrolled in Joint Replacement Pilot Study

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20Lighter Announces First 12 Patients Enrolled in Joint Replacement Pilot Study

The study compares surgical eligibility, laboratory blood tests and patient-reported outcomes of 20Lighter patients to standard of care in rural Arkansas.

 

Little Rock, AR. – April 12, 2022 — 20Lighter, LLC, a private company developing a unique, comprehensive digital program aimed to improve access to care and visceral adiposity and chronic inflammation, announced the enrollment of the first 12 patients in its ongoing pilot study with orthopaedic surgeons at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). 

The study’s principal investigator is Jeffrey B. Stambough, M.D., an assistant professor of hip and knee reconstruction in the UAMS Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “Options for obesity treatment are limited, particularly for our patients with mobility issues,” said Stambough. “Our initial investigation focuses on establishing program feasibility and carefully selected endpoints, which will hopefully generate data to justify larger clinical studies and make a bigger impact on rural health access beyond Arkansas,” he added. 

Due to the well documented perioperative risks, a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 40 has become the recognized cut off for patients pursuing hip or knee replacement. As the prevalence of obesity increases, a growing percentage of patients who live in rural areas who would benefit from joint replacement are ineligible and unable to access the care they require. Arkansas has the sixth highest rural population in the United States, so this scenario presents unique challenges for Arkansans and their surgeons, as rural areas have a lack of validated, safe and effective weight loss and cardiometabolic health programs. 

“It’s a privilege to work with our orthopaedic surgery partners at UAMS to potentially establish a new standard of care for Arkansans unable to proceed with hip or knee replacement because of an excessive BMI,” said Gerald Dembrowski, D.C., 20Lighter’s co-founder and chief medical officer.  

The study, which began enrolling in January, will include 70 patients, with half randomized to standard-of-care dietician consultation and half to the 20Lighter telehealth program.

“Obesity and chronic conditions are a growing barrier to care, especially in the American heartland and South. We are thrilled to be working with the UAMS joint replacement team, who are among the top 10% hip and knee replacement surgeons in the nation,” said the company’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Jessica Barnes, Ph.D., who is also an adjunct assistant professor in the UAMS Division of Cardiology. “The goal is to not only enable a path to joint replacement, but maximize the opportunity for positive recovery, rehab, and future quality of life,” she added. 

 

About UAMS  

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report recognized UAMS Medical Center as a Best Hospital for 2021-22; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide for the third year; and named five areas as high performing — colon cancer surgery, diabetes, hip replacement, knee replacement and stroke. Forbes magazine ranked UAMS as seventh in the nation on its Best Employers for Diversity list. UAMS also ranked in the top 30% nationwide on Forbes’ Best Employers for Women list and was the only Arkansas employer included. UAMS has 3,047 students, 873 medical residents and fellows, and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center, and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. 

About 20Lighter, LLC
20Lighter is a unique, comprehensive cardiometabolic telehealth program, delivered virtually over 2 months via smartphone. The program incorporates patented treatment algorithms providing a personalized approach to better cardiovascular and metabolic health. A multimodal approach enables patients to achieve clinically meaningful improvements of visceral adiposity and chronic inflammation, blood pressure, HbA1c, blood lipids, and CVD risk and health. 20Lighter clinical data has been presented at over two dozen international medical conferences, including the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific and Hypertension Sessions, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) the Liver Meeting, and is the subject of six peer-reviewed publications. For more information on 20Lighter’s work improving access to and outcomes of outpatient surgery, visit www.20Lighter.com/preoperative 

 

 

Media Contact
Jessica W. Barnes, PhD
CEO & Co-founder
media@20lighter.com

 

20Lighter Announces New Patent Issued for Reduction of Hypertension

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 20Lighter Announces New Patent Issued for Reduction of Hypertension

This second patent and an additional continuation application expand 20Lighter’s portfolio and emphasize therapeutic value for patients with cardiovascular disease.

Little Rock, AR. – Apr. 12, 2022 — 20Lighter, LLC, a private company developing a unique, comprehensive telehealth program aimed at improving risk and burden of cardiovascular disease through reductions of modifiable clinical risk factors including visceral adiposity and chronic inflammation today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued its second patent, No. 11,297,871. The USPTO also acknowledged filing receipt of a third non-provisional continuation application further strengthening the Company’s intellectual property position and coverage for the Company’s cardiometabolic health program.

“We are excited to expand the 20Lighter patent portfolio to include the prevention and treatment of hypertension,” said Dr. Gerald Dembrowski, 20Lighter’s co-founder and Chief Medical Officer. “20Lighter has proven its benefit in reducing pre-hypertension and diagnosed hypertension in men and women in peer-reviewed publications and ongoing efforts in rural underserved communities,” he added.

Hypertension affects nearly 50% of the US adult population, according to the Center for Disease Control’s 2019 data, with only a quarter of those ~116 million adults having their high blood pressure controlled. Both the patent and continuation application further establish the role of the Company’s program in preventing and treating hypertension and cardiovascular disease via the reduction of visceral adiposity.

“Reduction of modifiable clinical risk factors represents a major opportunity both as a preventative strategy, and as a complement to prescription drugs. This second patent is another step in differentiating and highlighting the overall value of 20Lighter,” said the Company’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jessica Barnes, PhD, who is also an adjunct assistant professor in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Division of Cardiology.

 

About 20Lighter, LLC
20Lighter is a unique, comprehensive cardiometabolic telehealth program, delivered virtually over 2 months via smartphone. The program incorporates patented treatment algorithms providing a personalized approach to better cardiovascular and metabolic health. A multimodal approach enables patients to achieve clinically meaningful improvements of visceral adiposity and chronic inflammation, blood pressure, HbA1c, blood lipids, and CVD risk and health. 20Lighter clinical data has been presented at over two dozen international medical conferences, including the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific and Hypertension Sessions, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) the Liver Meeting, the American College of Cardiology, and is the subject of six peer-reviewed publications. For more information on 20Lighter’s work improving cardiovascular disease disparities, visit www.20Lighter.com/cvd

 

 

Media Contact
Jessica W. Barnes, PhD
CEO & Co-founder
media@20lighter.com

 

20Lighter Announces Poster Presentation of Arkansas Delta Region Pilot Study Data at ACC 2022

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20Lighter Announces Poster Presentation of Arkansas Delta Region Pilot Study Data at ACC 2022

New clinical data shows 20Lighter’s cardiometabolic health program enables clinical risk factor, health and quality of life improvements in a pilot study of rural underserved African American women diagnosed with, or at high risk of, cardiovascular disease.

 

Little Rock, AR. – Mar. 31, 2022 — 20Lighter, LLC, a private company developing a unique, comprehensive telehealth program aimed at improving risk and burden of cardiovascular disease through reductions of modifiable clinical risk factors including visceral adiposity and chronic inflammation today announced a poster presentation at the 2022 American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting in Washington, DC, from April 2-4, 2022.

The poster presentation entitled “Addressing Obesity & Cardiometabolic Disease Disparities in The Arkansas Delta Region: Initial Engagement & Preliminary Data of the UAMS Lincoln Project” will be presented by the company’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jessica Barnes, PhD, who is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Division of Cardiology.

“I am thrilled to be presenting this first look at engagement and clinical risk factor data, that, frankly, exceeded our expectations for the small pilot study. The women knocked it out of the park,” said Dr. Barnes, “and I believe over the next few years as we expand our efforts further into the Arkansas Delta, we will begin to change the perception of what is possible in traditionally challenging rural, underserved high risk patient populations”.

Key findings reported in the poster presentation highlight the potential of 20Lighter’s telehealth program to be effective in engaging with rural residents at high risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality, the ability to impact health outcomes, and the value of community partnerships in providing the needed support systems for success of participants.

“The Arkansas Delta is an area with a vibrant culture but serious cardiovascular health disparities,” said Irion “Chip” Pursell, MPH, RN, BSN, who is the principal investigator of UAMS Heart Healthy Communities, formerly the UAMS Lincoln Project, and director of Cardiovascular Disease Primary Prevention in the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology. Mr. Pursell is a co-author and will be presenting the poster with Dr. Barnes. He added, “this initial data is a first, important step in our larger goal of reducing the devastating effects of heart disease on the lives of people throughout the Delta and in other areas of the country with similar challenges”.

“Delta Circles is thrilled to play a small role in such a life-changing initiative. We are committed to engaging our community and creating a supportive environment to assist Black women in overcoming generational health disparities,” said Patricia Ashanti, CEO of Delta Circles, a Phillips County-based nonprofit serving the community of Helena-West Helena where the pilot study took place. Delta Circles and 20Lighter have partnered with UAMS Heart Healthy Communities to build broad and lasting relationships in Phillips County.

 

About the American College of Cardiology

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its 54,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards, and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit ACC.org.

 

About Delta Circles, Inc.

Delta Circles is a Phillips County nonprofit dedicated to supporting families to end poverty and challenging the way that Black women and their families think about themselves, their finances, health, and businesses. Since 2009, Delta Circles has been working in the Helena-West Helena community to implement a high-impact strategy that promotes economic equity and collaboration. Our goal is to confidently address the region’s current reality to create a preferred future for finances and entrepreneurship. With the belief that all citizens need opportunities to learn, and to be connected to a network of support systems, which may not always be easily accessible in rural communities, Delta Circles’ approach combines learning opportunities that foster self-sufficiency with mentorship, guidance, and navigation strategies to put its clients and their families on a pathway out of poverty and on to prosperity. For more information about Delta Circles, visit: www.Delta-Circles.org

 

About UAMS

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report recognized UAMS Medical Center as a Best Hospital for 2021-22; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide for the third year; and named five areas as high performing — colon cancer surgery, diabetes, hip replacement, knee replacement and stroke. Forbes magazine ranked UAMS as seventh in the nation on its Best Employers for Diversity list. UAMS also ranked in the top 30% nationwide on Forbes’ Best Employers for Women list and was the only Arkansas employer included. UAMS has 3,047 students, 873 medical residents and fellows, and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center, and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com.

About 20Lighter, LLC
20Lighter is a unique, comprehensive cardiometabolic telehealth program, delivered virtually over 2 months via smartphone. The program incorporates patented treatment algorithms providing a personalized approach to better cardiovascular and metabolic health. A multimodal approach enables patients to achieve clinically meaningful improvements of visceral adiposity and chronic inflammation, blood pressure, HbA1c, blood lipids, and CVD risk and health. 20Lighter clinical data has been presented at over two dozen international medical conferences, including the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific and Hypertension Sessions, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) the Liver Meeting, and is the subject of six peer-reviewed publications. For more information on 20Lighter’s work improving cardiovascular disease disparities, visit www.20Lighter.com/cvd

 

Media Contact
Jessica W. Barnes, PhD
CEO & Co-founder
media@20lighter.com

 

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Dr. Jessica Barnes joins Michelle Rathman for an episode of the Rural Matters podcast

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Dr. Jessica Barnes joins Michelle Rathman for an episode of the Rural Matters podcast

 

Little Rock, AR. – February 1, 2022 —

Dr. Jess Barnes, 20Lighter co-founder and CEO, and Irion “Chip” Pursell, the principal investigator of UAMS Heart Healthy Communities and director of Cardiovascular Disease Primary Prevention in the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology join Michelle Rathman on the Rural Matters podcast.

On the podcast, Dr. Barnes and Mr. Pursell discussed the design, goals, and future of the UAMS Lincoln Project along with the 20Lighter’s role in addressing cardiovascular health disparities. The episode titled: “Improving Heart Health in Rural America with Dr. Jessica Barnes and Chip Pursell” was recorded in mid-January and posted to the podcast website today. Rural Matters is a biweekly, 30-minute podcast about rural education, business, and health focused on increasing awareness and expanding the dialogue on the most important issues facing rural stakeholders.

The episode can be found here.

About UAMS  

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report recognized UAMS Medical Center as a Best Hospital for 2021-22; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide for the third year; and named five areas as high performing — colon cancer surgery, diabetes, hip replacement, knee replacement and stroke. Forbes magazine ranked UAMS as seventh in the nation on its Best Employers for Diversity list. UAMS also ranked in the top 30% nationwide on Forbes’ Best Employers for Women list and was the only Arkansas employer included. UAMS has 3,047 students, 873 medical residents and fellows, and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center, and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. 

About 20Lighter, LLC
20Lighter is a unique, comprehensive cardiometabolic telehealth program, delivered virtually over 2 months via smartphone. The program incorporates patented treatment algorithms providing a personalized approach to better cardiovascular and metabolic health. A multimodal approach enables patients to achieve better health through clinically meaningful improvements of visceral adiposity, chronic inflammation, blood pressure, HbA1c, blood lipids, and CVD risk. 20Lighter clinical data has been presented at over two dozen international medical conferences, including the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific and Hypertension Sessions, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Meeting, and is the subject of six peer-reviewed publications. For more information on 20Lighter’s work improving cardiovascular disease disparities, visit www.20Lighter.com/cvd

 

 

Media Contact
Jessica W. Barnes, PhD
CEO & Co-founder
media@20lighter.com

 

visceral fat infographic

What is Visceral Fat?

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Having a healthy body is about more than just your weight. Your body is made up of various components, including water, muscle, fat, bone and more. When it comes to your body composition, the most harmful component is visceral fat. 

What is visceral fat?

Visceral fat, also called abdominal obesity or belly fat, is the fat that surrounds your internal organs inside your abdominal cavity.

Why is visceral fat bad?

Everyone has visceral fat, but having too much of it can lead to chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, asthma, and cancer.

 

visceral fat infographic

 

Visceral fat also releases 50+ harmful inflammatory molecules into your body and bloodstream. These inflammatory compounds include IL-6, IL-1b, PAI-I, and TNF-alpha, among many others. These compounds cause inflammation and can lead to chronic illnesses like the ones mentioned above. Visceral fat can also release angiotensin, which is a protein that can increase your blood pressure, and RBP4 which makes you more resistant to insulin.

 

Inflammatory Markers Visceral Fat

How to measure visceral fat?

Having a protruding abdomen is an indicator that you may have excessive visceral fat. While women with a waist 35+ inches and men 40+ inches have shown the greatest risk of death from CVD & other health issues, women with waist sizes 28 inches and higher and men 36 inches and higher also have elevated risk and studies have shown that VF accumulation is pathologic well below these 35/40 inch waist values. Waist to hip ratio is also used to try and better gauge the level of visceral fat, but because visceral fat is not only found in the abdomen, it extends up into the neck in most cases the true visceral fat load and risk doesn’t usually correlate with waist sizes alone. As waist sizes get bigger, yes it is indicative of more visceral fat, but as they get smaller there is discordance that include factors like gender, ethnicity, economic status and more. Visceral fat around the lungs, heart and major vessels have as big, if not bigger, impact on cardiovascular health events and other comorbidities than the visceral fat in the abdominal cavity. This is one of the proposed reasons that hidden obesity or visceral fat accumulation in overweight but non-obese and also normal weight people is so deadly. The effects of visceral fat located in the thoracic (chest) cavity can wreak havoc for years before the waist sizes are large enough to be considered high risk.


 

Visceral Fat Level

Visceral fat can be accurately measured using sophisticated imaging techniques like CT & MRI, and also in an inexpensive non-invasive manner using bioelectrical impedance analysis scales. Tanita pioneered this technique and have published numerous white papers on its tight correlation with DEXA scans. Blood levels of some of the compounds mentioned above are also being developed as markers of visceral fat levels. 

 

Relationship Between Stress and Visceral Fat

Stress causes increased visceral fat in many ways. First, when we are stressed we tend to reach for foods that are not the most nutritious. Also, stress causes your body to release a stress hormone called cortisol. Studies have shown that long-term elevated cortisol levels lead to increased visceral fat.

 

stress weight gain

 

Visceral Belly Fat Removal

Can you use liposuction for visceral fat? No. Visceral fat is found inside your body and liposuction is used to remove small amounts of fat from the outside of your body under your skin. The best way to reduce or burn visceral fat is through significant lifestyle changes and nutrition, like the 20Lighter program.

 

How does visceral fat cause heart disease?

When the harmful compounds mentioned above are released into your bloodstream, where they have both systemic and local effects in organs like the heart. The inflammation they cause can lead to a plaque forming on the arteries that feed your heart muscles (called coronary arteries). Over time, these plaques can grow and rupture, leading to a heart attack. Visceral fat is also tightly linked to hypertension (high blood pressure), and while plaques play a role, the direct and indirect effects of hypertension have as big an impact on cardiovascular disease and stroke as plaques do. The inflammatory molecules in the circulation and also in local visceral fat stores (such as around the blood vessels) also cause changes in the endothelium that lines the major blood vessels and heart causing additional problems like leaky blood vessel walls and immune cell activation. 

 

BMI vs. Body Composition

BMI is a simple measurement based on your weight and height alone. It is commonly used by medical professionals because of its simplicity and ease of use. Body composition is a more accurate measurement of your overall health, but most medical offices do not have the tools to provide a thorough analysis of your body composition. Bioelectrical impedance scales are available and not much more expensive than a regular commercial body weight scale, and more doctors and healthcare professionals are starting to use them. 

 

How to reduce visceral fat?

Besides choosing a program like 20Lighter that is targeted to reducing inflammation and visceral fat, getting adequate sleep, quitting smoking, taking care of your mental health, and reducing your stress levels can help you toward your health goals.

visceral fat best weight loss programs

Coronavirus

20Lighter Announces Coronavirus Initiative

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The 20Lighter co-founders announce a coronavirus initiative to help Americans with chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes and obesity to take positive steps towards better health, lower their risk of infection, improve the odds of full recovery if infected, and address the effects of a prolonged lockdown and sedentary work from/stay at home lifestyle.

 

In response to many inquiries from prospective clients about how to best optimize their health amid the coronavirus outbreak, here we:

  • review why overall health has never been more important,
  • share how a 20Lighter program can be done in the current environment,
  • explain why now is an excellent time to address chronic health issues with a 20Lighter program, and
  • announce wholesale pricing will be offered to the public through June 15th.

 

Why your overall health is critically important

It’s not a secret that obesity and metabolic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and lipids are, in their own right, at epidemic proportions here in the United States. Unfortunately this is a result of many factors including the move away from daily physical activity (long commutes, sedentary jobs, longer hours in front of the computer and TV), changes in our food (away from freshly prepared and towards highly processed items and easy meals, etc.), and the tendency towards ignoring or not understanding the personal significance/impact of the problem. But now risks of obesity, hypertension and diabetes should be clear to everyone.

The coronavirus has awakened our society from its comfortable slumber. We see social media discussions by ‘average Joes’ discussing the number of ICU beds in the health system, the state of viral diagnostics, and epidemiology (‘flatten the curve’). Data emerging from the rest of the world shows that while older people are at risk for infection and death, so are those with chronic health issues including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. The CDC itself notes this on their website:

“…patients who reported no underlying medical conditions had an overall case fatality of 0.9%, but case fatality was higher for patients with comorbidities: 10.5% for those with cardiovascular disease, 7% for diabetes, and 6% each for chronic respiratory disease, hypertension, and cancer.”   https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-guidance-management-patients.html

Is now the time for a 20Lighter Program?

The consequences of chronic health conditions are now even more obvious, and it’s time we started to take our individual and collective health much, much more seriously. Since the coronavirus became more publicly discussed in early March 2020, we have received an overwhelming number of inquiries from prospective new clients realizing they need to do something to address the chronic conditions that put them at higher risk, but are unsure what to do and if now is a good time. So what can people do in the short term to improve their health, to best position themselves to avoid infection and down the line, if they do get sick, to have the best chance of a full recovery? Beyond the obvious and widely circulated, social distancing and hand washing, sleep is important, as is stress reduction. For those who are looking for a way to minimize the risk of infection to themselves and their loved ones, and since a major stockpile of toilet paper alone is not an effective option 🙂 we wanted to discuss why it is worth considering a 20Lighter program as an opportunity to use the time available to achieve short-term health improvements and lay the groundwork for long-term good health.

First of all, 20Lighter is not a diet– it’s a comprehensive program lasting 34 or 60 days that incorporates physiological, behavioral, and nutritional components to help participants achieve dramatic and long lasting benefits. Our program is 100% telehealth based, you do not need to leave your home for consultations or follow-up appointments. Our meal plans incorporate lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Many clients have been incredibly successful using frozen vegetables and fruits, and lean proteins like chicken, fish, beef and turkey can also be frozen for convenience. Our weekly guides provide everything a person inexperienced with food prep needs to plan and prepare their meals… from the list of items needed in the kitchen, to a weekly grocery shopping list, and a day-by-day detailed prep guide.

Second, 20Lighter routinely works with clients who have a variety of health issues who come to us specifically because of their desire to reduce medications and regain their good health. Our data has been published in peer reviewed journals and presented at a variety of medical conferences including the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American Heart Association (AHA). We are including a link to our data page here: https//20Lighter.com/data take a look at the Case Report (Currently in press at a peer reviewed medical journal) to get a sense of the changes that are possible for an ‘average Joe’, a 47 year old participant with poorly controlled diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. It is a great way to gauge changes in blood glucose, HbA1c, lipids and blood pressure that are possible with a 20Lighter 40Day program. The data page has many other presentations that also provide a bigger picture snapshot of 20Lighter client outcomes.  As our data highlights, it is NEVER TOO LATE to make significant progress on your chronic health issues, and that progress can be long lasting with the right program. We are here to help.

Third, as we all know, this is a stressful time, perhaps more so than any other time in our lives. So much uncertainty and disruption of normal schedules is hard to manage for even the best of us. But finding something to do, particularly something that helps improve your health, is one of the best ways to combat that stress especially as we begin the task of returning to our normal way of life. Taking time to build a healthier future is one of the best uses of the time we have on hand. Do a program with your spouse, as a group with other family members or coworkers around the country and share your progress.

What is the 20Lighter coronavirus initiative?

The best way we at 20Lighter can help America overcome this historic challenge is to work to improve the health of those with weight and metabolic disease risks in an efficient and expedited manner. In order to help as many people optimize their health to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection, and improve the likelihood of a full recovery if infected we are offering both the 20Day and 40Day programs at wholesale pricing to all prospective clients because we know that the economic impact of COVID-19 is a real and important concern.

Those who are considering a program are encouraged to book a brief (~20-30 minute) consult to discuss their individual situation and goals here: https://calendly.com/20lighter/30min

If you are interested in financing your 20Lighter Program, you can assess your options with no risk at: https://consumer.hcsloans.com/setup/3924

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The Power of Goals

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January has come to a close and with it many (even most) New Year’s Resolutions. Why is that? Why do most people abandon their resolutions or goals so early in the year? Perhaps it has as much to do with how the goals are structured (or not structured) than with the level of commitment to those goals. Resolutions and goals can play an important role in self-improvement, but only if they are designed the right way. This blog post helps you evaluate if your goals are designed for maximum benefit, talks about how 20Lighter uses goals to encourage client success, and shares a personal experience with a my January goal (everybody loves a video!).

So what does a well designed goal look like? Let’s review the components that make your goal a “good” one and what constitutes a bad or weak goal. A good goal needs to be clearly defined, quantifiable, and have a set timeframe. I’ll bet you know someone whose 2019 goal was to “lose weight”, and while it seems like a great idea, it is a weak goal. It is too ambiguous… and it lacks action and metrics. Lose what? How much? By when? If I take off my heavy sweatshirt before hopping on the scale, I am sure I can see a change in the number on the scale… but is it valuable? That certainly does not improve your health or appearance (unless it was that ‘lucky’ sweatshirt you only wear around the house). Be specific; define your goal in relation to the outcome you want. Next, make sure your goal is quantitative, not qualitative. How much do you want to lose? A half pound, two pounds, ten pounds? There is a big difference between a half pound and ten pounds… make sure your goal has meaning. Lastly, put an expiration date on it. When do you want to lose that weight? In a month, or by your birthday, or that upcoming class reunion? Let’s apply these guidelines and reexamine our original goal: wanting to “lose weight” now becomes wanting to “lose 10lbs of body fat by my upcoming class reunion on May 15th”. Now with this well designed goal you can include some checkpoints to make sure you are on track. You should be down at least 2.5lbs by February 27th, 5lbs by March 22nd, and 7.5lbs by April 20th to be on track, so add these milestones to your calendar. Make a plan of action and outline the actual steps you will take, things you will do (or not do) to lose the weight and reach these smaller goals that add up to success of the bigger goal.

Our flagship programs at 20Lighter start with well defined goals for each participant… lose 10lbs of body fat in 20 days or lose 20lbs of body fat in 40 days. The client and the provider track progress in the mobile app where body composition changes are updated daily and a graph populates helping clients visualize their progress in an easy to understand way. We know that some days are easy and some days are not so easy, such is life. But goals pull you up and push you through… the momentum of progress is so hugely motivating. Once clients see that they can and are making tangible progress towards their goal they get excited and become more engaged as the program moves along. Inevitably, rough days happen, but sharing your goals with others allows you to tap into them for support. Here is an exchange typical for this time of year, with the Super Bowl just a couple days away:

“Joe, you are down 8lbs on day 9 of your 20Day program. I know SuperBowl Sunday will be a challenge, but your 10lb goal is within reach and your stretch goal is 15lbs is coming into sight! Hang tough, remember this is about you and your health and I believe in you. So if you need some personal cheerleading just message me here in the app anytime on Sunday because I am here to help!”

Reiterating where one is in relation to the big picture, reminding them of their progress thus far, confirming that the result is within reach, and providing a support mechanism is how we help our clients through those hard days… the goal pulls them up and helps push them through the tough times. Perspective, motivation, empowerment… well designed goals help you succeed.

My personal January goal was to complete ‘The Winter Warrior Challenge’ with pretty well defined parameters: run at least 1 mile every day in January, outside. This goal tied directly into my bigger 2019 goal of running a half marathon in the Fall, and I decided to give it a go. Once I committed, my mind wandered to milestones and sub-goals… running more total distance each week, and ending with an average of at least 2.0 miles each day. Overall, I wanted to use this challenge as a way to ramp up my fitness after the Thanksgiving to New Year’s running hiatus without causing an injury. Some days it was not difficult to get out the door, as I was energetic and feeling motivated to complete my goal. Other days when I was tired, it was snowing, or downright frigid it was tough to get out there. To keep the challenge in the forefront of my mind, I put a printed calendar on the fridge and marked the mileage each day. I kept proving to myself that I was capable of more than I had previously thought, and more and more I wanted to see every day marked on that sheet of paper. Quite the feeling on January 31st when my calendar was complete and my mileage totaled 65.5 miles with each week showing a slightly higher mileage. I’m excited to see what I can accomplish in February with my new understanding of what I am capable of doing. I decided just before my first run to make this Winter Warrior Challenge one I would share with you, so I took a picture everyday while running and put together this 1-minute video to inspire you to evaluate the goals in your life and make sure they are helping you succeed:

Define your goals, set attainable endpoints, add checkpoints to gauge your progress, share with others, and keep your eyes on the prize. Nothing worth having in this life comes without sacrifice, be prepared to work for what you truly want! If your goals include improving your health, reducing your weight and risk of disease, schedule a free consult to learn how 20Lighter can assist. Helping people make tangible progress is what we do every day, let’s discuss your goals and how 2019 can be the year you make your health and wellbeing a priority.

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The Sleep-Cardiovascular Risk Relationship Highlighted at AHA2018

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On Saturday at the America Heart Association Scientific Sessions we attended a morning session titled ‘Reducing Cardiometabolic Risk by Improving Sleep’, a topic that is near and dear to my heart.

The four talks ranged in scope from how sleep can improve cardiovascular (CV) risk, to how much sleep one needs, to the role of the circadian system in CV health & disease. This area of study is closely related to my doctoral thesis work, which focused on the molecular mechanisms of the circadian clock- literally how that clock functions on a sub-cellular level.

 

While the circadian system is not well known by consumers (and even physicians for that matter), it has a role in nearly every major organ system and disease… cancer, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, infertility, and yes obesity, metabolic, and CV disease. It’s very exciting to see docs now interested in the role it plays, learning how its disruption influences health and disease, and asking how they can start to implement measures to improve function of the circadian system, lower risk of disease, and improve the health of their patients.

Data presented at this year’s AHA conference included a review of direct and indirect effects of sleep disruption on CV risk & outcomes. There is a clear relationship between both good sleep and lower disease risk/improved CV outcomes and between poor sleep and higher disease risk/worse CV outcomes.

The session speakers highlighted the direct and indirect negative effects that sleep disruption can have on CV disease risk (development of diabetes, atherosclerosis, etc), and cardiometabolic outcomes (changes in blood glucose, stroke, heart attack, etc). They also called attention to the benefit good quality sleep can have on these same parameters, luckily it’s not just a one sided situation- good sleep can dramatically reduce risk and improve outcomes!

However, sleep is not something one can fix with a snap of a finger, or a prescription pad. The first step is assessment; are you getting enough sleep? Are you able to fall asleep without tossing and turning for a long period of time? Do you sleep through the night? Do you feel rested when you wake up?

The next step is education; bright light, even a cell phone screen or TV within 1-2 hours of bedtime is enough light to disrupt the natural process your brain uses to transition to sleep. Move the TV out of the bedroom, turn off the cell phone, and make the bedroom environment conducive to sleep.

The last step is execution; don’t burn the candle at both ends, sleep is an important part of good health so proactively make time for it.

 

Often what we see on our program is after about 7-10 days clients report sleeping ‘better’… for some that means falling asleep more readily, waking up less often, and/or feeling rested and refreshed the next morning. Overall that improvement is important, no matter what aspect it is from.

Dr. Dembrowski and I understand that obesity, metabolic and CV diseases are extremely complex, and as a result, there is no single target or thing that will prove effective in combating them. Packaged foods, counting points, a pill prescribed for high blood pressure or high cholesterol, no carbs… these things are not going to address the problem and are not going to be effective in improving your health over the long term. They can provide short term changes, transient effects on the scale, they can treat the symptoms by reducing your blood sugar or blood pressure but they do not change the disease process itself… period, end of discussion.

20Lighter flagship programs were designed to be highly integrated- to incorporate as many different complimentary strategies to disrupt the mechanisms promoting disease, because that is how you have a real long term positive impact on health you go after what is causing it.

I could talk for hours about different aspects of the 20Lighter Program—our meal plan design, the natural strategies we use to break the cycle of inflammation throughout the body, how our programs are designed to re-establish robust circadian signaling and why that is so important, the role education of healthy sleep habits plays, or about the importance of reducing more than just body weight. We are fundamentally different because our programs are not predicated on a single ‘thing.’ All the aspects I just mentioned are equally important to the overall long term success of 20Lighter clients.

Think of it this way, you have driven your car for years over very poorly maintained roads and as a result the frame is bent, the suspension is shot, gas mileage is poor, and the tires wear unevenly. If you use a better grade of gas or get new tires, will it fix the problem?

 

Nope—It may temporarily improve the symptoms (worn out tires and bad gas mileage) but it will not fix the underlying issues that cause the car to have problems.

What makes 20Lighter different and why our program so effective for so many people is that we take a shotgun approach as we go after those causative issues, and we do it in a way that is not complicated from a client perspective. Our programs require commitment and work, but they are straightforward and they are relatively short.

Obesity, metabolic, and CV disease are complex health issues, the reasons why and how 20Lighter programs are painstakingly designed are equally complicated, but the program itself is not complicated and stunningly effective.

 

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