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

LITTLE ROCK, AR, UNITED STATES, May 3, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- 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

Jessica Barnes
20Lighter, LLC
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