News release: Colorado - Denver/Boulder

June 5, 2000

For more information, call:
Steve Krizman
Kaiser Permanente
Phone: (303) 344-7932
E-mail: Steve.A.Krizman@kp.org

Dan Reeves to talk to Kaiser Permanente heart patients

Denver, CO – Dan Reeves, who courageously coached his team in the 1999 Super Bowl, just six weeks after undergoing quadruple-bypass surgery, has joined leading health organizations nationwide to show patients with high cholesterol and heart disease how to partner with their doctor to develop a long-term game plan for survival.

"Fighting heart disease is like preparing for the season. If you set goals and follow through with the plan set by your doctor, you can take the right steps to survive it," says Reeves, coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

Reeves, who has more career victories than any active NFL coach, was coach of the Denver Broncos for 12 years. He will meet with heart patients at Kaiser Permanente's Franklin Medical Office on June 13.

"As time passes, the memory of surgery and recovery starts to fade and it becomes easy to fall back into old habits," Reeves says. "I've learned first-hand how important it is for people with heart disease who have high cholesterol to stick with the treatment regimen they've developed with their doctor."

Coach Reeves' moment of truth came during a game in December 1998, when he felt an uneasy sensation in his chest. He wanted to ignore it, but fortunately he mentioned it to his primary-care physician, Dr. Charles Harrison, who suggested he be examined the next morning. The coach was subsequently diagnosed with three blocked arteries and was admitted to the Fuqua Heart Center of Atlanta at Piedmont Hospital, where he underwent a successful four-hour bypass procedure.

Since his surgery, Reeves has followed a textbook game plan for recovery. He formed a close partnership with his cardiologist and primary-care physician, who provided valuable advice about the importance of lifestyle changes and treatment options, including proper diet, exercise, and medication. His game plan began right in the hospital, when he says he was most "coachable."

"I was scared for my life in the hospital, so of course I listened carefully to my doctor's advice on how to take better care of myself," Reeves says. "I had goals I wanted to achieve, and I wasn't going to let my bypass keep me from them. All I knew was that I wanted to stick around and stay healthy for my wife, my children, and my grandchildren. And yes, I admit I also wanted to take my team to the big game."

Four weeks after his surgery, he was back on the sidelines for the 1999 season. Six weeks later he was coaching his team in the Super Bowl, against the Denver Broncos.

Now, more than one year later, Coach Reeves wants to spread the word that battling heart disease is a lifelong commitment. He continues to eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, to work out daily on a treadmill, to consult his doctors regularly, and to take prescription medicines, including a cholesterol-lowering drug.

"Dan is living proof that with the right attitude and the right medical care, you can go back to doing what you love to do," says John Merenich, MD, an endocrinologist for Kaiser Permanente in Denver. "He's an inspiration for everyone who hears his story.

"We're delighted that Dan decided to champion this important cause," says Dr. Merenich. "Obviously his advice to other heart patients--about lifelong changes in diet, exercise and continued communication with your doctor--comes straight from the heart."

Reeves hopes that his own experience with heart disease will help motivate other patients to seek out the help they need to make permanent lifestyle changes to control their cholesterol and other risk factors. For example, only about four of ten heart disease patients (39 percent) with LDL or "bad" cholesterol of 130 mg/dL or higher are currently prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication, despite recommendations from the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). In addition, less than half--or 44 percent of heart disease patients--had their bad cholesterol levels measured by their physician within a year of their last doctor visit.

Reeves is partnering with cardiologists in major U.S. cities this summer to tell heart disease patients how to keep the country's largest killer of both men and women under control for life. The four-time professional coach of the year and former professional football star halfback will encourage patients to follow his example as he continues to fight heart disease with the same tenacity he exhibits as a professional football coach.

The program is sponsored by pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck & Co., Inc., which has established a HeartCare Partnership program with hospitals in cities across the country to assist them with development and implementation of a protocol to help ensure heart disease patients are treated in accordance with NCEP guidelines. In support of these guidelines, a free consumer booklet, "Crossing the Goal Line: Dan Reeves' Playbook for Surviving Heart Disease," spells out specific strategies for surviving and helping to prevent heart disease. For a copy, consumers can call toll-free 1-888-548-GOAL.