Duke Stars
Edward Suarez -- Associate Professor, Medical Psychiatry
Vice-Chair, Institutional Review Board, School of Medicine
"There is just something unique about Duke that has kept me here — this has been a fruitful place."
Edward Suarez has received many enticing job offers during the last 20 years. He's
declined them all.
"There is just something unique about Duke that has kept me here — this has been a fruitful
place," said Suarez, associate professor of medical psychiatry. "I'm excited to be here because Duke
is a leading proponent of preventive and holistic medicine, and that's something I'm very
passionate about."
Originally from Cuba, Suarez came to Duke on a health promotion and disease prevention
fellowship right after earning his doctorate from the University of Miami in 1986. Professionally,
Duke is all that he has known.
Through his research at Duke, Suarez has helped discover that an individual's behaviors and
personality traits affect their health. His studies suggest those prone to anger, aggression, hostility
and even depression have a heightened risk of developing heart disease and disorders like type 2
diabetes and high blood pressure.
"The research shows that risk of disease is influenced essentially by who we are," Suarez said.
"So instead of waiting for a disease to develop and then treat it, we can take measures to help stop the disease."
Suarez is among a group of Duke medical experts who are developing techniques to help health care
providers make this leap from reactive to preventive medicine. Suarez is partnering with Duke Integrative
Medicine to explore how those prone to anger and depression could help decrease their risk of heart
disease by developing a personalized health care plan with their doctor that may include exercise, meditation,
yoga or other stress-relieving techniques.
What it comes down to, Suarez said, is educating physicians to work with patients in a way
that encourages patients to help themselves. For example, instead of simply telling a patient to
loose weight, the doctor will create a personal weight-loss plan with the patient that may
include consultations with a nutritionist and fitness specialist.
"Most medical treatments are not enjoyable," Suarez said. "But if we can make it an
enjoyable process where patients really work with their doctors and decide on treatments
together that fit into the patient's lifestyle, then significant change can happen."
Suarez said Duke Integrative Medicine is already employing types of treatment that address
the whole person — their mind, body, spirit, relationships and environment.
"We are now at the point where we are translating our research to the bedside," Suarez said.
"We're going to change how Duke health care providers treat their patients."
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