Cardiologists might be struggling with the same lifestyle challenges they counsel patients about, as a national survey of ACC members revealed significant gaps between what physicians’ recommend and how they act.
- Current lifestyle medicine guidelines encompass six core pillars: regular physical activity, whole-food plant-based eating, stress resilience, restorative sleep, positive social connections, and avoidance of risky substances.
- Despite CVD being the leading cause of death worldwide, lifestyle interventions aren’t common and still inconsistent, potentially due to physicians’ personal behaviors.
The ACC CardioSurve study surveyed 166 U.S. cardiologists about their training in lifestyle medicine and clinical recommendations across all six lifestyle pillars, revealing some striking disconnects…
- While 41% frequently recommended whole-food plant-based diets for CVD prevention, only 8% personally followed such diets, with most (68%) consuming omnivorous diets.
- Physical activity counseling was nearly universal (91%), yet only 69% of cardiologists met the guidelines themselves.
- Most cardiologists (87%) had never received formal training in lifestyle medicine.
Even with recognition of lifestyle medicine’s importance, cardiologists reported multiple barriers preventing both their compliance and how they counsel patients such as…
- Concerns about protein adequacy (28%).
- Cultural challenges (40%).
- Patient compliance issues (63%).
- Dissatisfaction with sleep quality (35%).
- Difficulty maintaining social connections (69%).
- Pervasive alcohol consumption (69% used alcohol, 34% weekly).
It’s also worth noting that the survey had a 31% response rate that may over-represent cardiologists with greater lifestyle interest, suggesting actual compliance rates could be even lower.
The Takeaway
It’s hard to be a model citizen when your job is stressful, but being a healthcare provider means your patients look up to you. While this survey is small and certainly doesn’t apply to all cardiac care professionals, it’s a good reminder to practice what you preach. The meaning of doctor is teacher, after all.
