Recap of What We Know about Eating and Heart Disease

The US Department of Agriculture and the Lipid and Heart Disease Prevention Program of the New England Medical Center have published an extensive review of the current state of knowledge of nutrition and coronary heart disease (CHD). Here's a brief summary of their review:

• CHD remains a major cause of death and disability.
• Risk factors for CHD include age, sex, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol.
• The cornerstone of CHD prevention is lifestyle modification.
• Restricting saturated fat and cholesterol and increasing essential fatty acids reduce CHD risk.
• Antioxidants have not been shown to reduce CHD risk.
• Complying with dietary recommendations remains a major problem.
• For CHD prevention, use animal, dairy and hydrogenated fats, tropical oils, egg yolks and sugars sparingly, and increase the use of vegetables, fruit and whole grains.

Related information: About cholesterol - The blood cholesterol - heart disease connection | Guidelines for heart-healthy eating

Source:  Schaefer EJ. Lipoproteins, nutrition, and heart disease. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, February 2002;75:191-212. (Abs.)