Evidence for wellness coaching programs

In follow up to the excellent presentations by members of the South Asian Heart Center, I did an independent data/ evidence review on scientific effective ness of coaching programs. Here are a few summary points: 1. Ashish’s group themselves have presented data that “event free survival” (period without getting a heart attack) is higher in the intervention group (those who got coaching) 2. ⁠A study led by Ruth Wolever, PhD, professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and director of Vanderbilt Health Coaching at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, found that 10 sessions of health coaching for people at risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), type 2 diabetes (T2D) or both led to increased physical activity which was sustained six months after the intervention ended. 3. ⁠Another study by Krishnamurthy and colleagues (Neurology: Clinical Practice 2024) found that in people at high risk for heart attacks, using a structured coaching program 5-year risk of heart attacks went down (interestingly, in this study, those with moderate or lower risk were not impacted) 4. ⁠Other research has shown that individuals who engage in coaching programs have shown clinically significant improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood glucose/A1C levels, BMI, cardiorespiratory fitness and overall heart health. By fostering high-quality motivation and self-efficacy, health and well-being coaches help patients become more internally motivated and confident in their ability to make meaningful health changes and maintain them over time.