Phoenix-Based Medical Practice Launches Reverse AFib Program to Treat and Manage Condition

HealthspanMD’s new remote care program is aimed at one of the lesser-known aspects of atrial fibrillation, which impacts millions of Americans: it can be reversed.

AFib refers to an irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia. According to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control, it contributes to nearly a half million hospitalizations annually and causes about one in seven strokes. With deaths from AFib increasing steadily over the past two decades, more than 12 million Americans are expected to have AFib by 2030.

“AFib is complex and challenging to treat,” said HealthspanMD Founder and board-certified cardiologist Robert Todd Hurst, MD, FACC, FASE. “Not only are there multiple causes of AFib, but there are also multiple types of treatment, making it difficult to navigate through the nuances in the few minutes you have during typical doctor appointments.”

Medication and cardiac ablation are frequently used to treat AFib. However, Phoenix-based HealthspanMD has elevated these conventional treatments by introducing its Reverse AFib Program. This innovative remote care program, covered by Medicare and most commercial insurers, encompasses a comprehensive range of components, including:

• An expert consultation with a cardiologist to thoroughly review the patient’s atrial fibrillation history, lab data and heart test results.
• An evaluation of the potential causes of AFib to determine the best opportunities to treat the condition and lower the risk of stroke, dementia, heart failure and death.
• A detailed strategy based on research-backed factors increases the likelihood of being free from Afib by as much as  1,100% more than medicines and ablation procedures alone, including an analysis of nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, alcohol, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
• Enrollment in an ongoing, connected program with a team of experts to optimize the chance of reversing AFib.

A comprehensive, coordinated approach to AFib treatment that also addresses weight loss, fitness and various heart disease risk factors has proven to generate overwhelmingly positive patient outcomes. In one study, 88% of participants were able to reverse their AFib and in another, 91% required less atrial fibrillation rhythm medications.

Each patient at HealthspanMD is assigned a care team consisting of a physician, medical assistant and health coach. The care team guides the patient through the program, addressing medical concerns, habit-building and accountability, among other key components. Remote monitoring technologies are unobtrusively used to monitor progress in real-time and course correct as needed.

Hurst launched HealthspanMD after two decades of practicing and educating on cardiology at Mayo Clinic and Banner University Medical Center. He has more than 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has given more than 100 presentations at medical educational conferences. He regularly speaks on the prevention of heart disease and how to live a long, healthy life.