title: Diets to prevent coronary heart disease 1957-2013: what have we learned?
abstract: Our understanding of the potential cardioprotective properties of nutrition is relatively recent, with most relevant studies completed in the last several decades. During that time, there has been an evolution in the focus of nutritional intervention. Early trials emphasized reduction of dietary fat with the goal of preventing heart disease by reducing serum cholesterol. Results from trials focused exclusively on dietary fat reduction were disappointing, prompting subsequent studies incorporating a whole diet approach with a nuanced recommendation for fat intake. The Mediterranean-style diet, with a focus on vegetables, fruit, fish, whole grains, and olive oil, has proven to reduce cardiovascular events to a degree greater than low-fat diets and equal to or greater than the benefit observed in statin trials.
authors.affiliation: Weil Foundation and University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Ariz. Electronic address: jdalenmd@gmail.com.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dalen
authors.affiliation: Gaples Institute for Integrative Cardiology, Deerfield, Ill; Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Devries
mesh_terms: D000572:American Heart Association; D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005399:Fishes; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: CHD prevention; Low-fat diets; Mediterranean diet; Reducing cholesterol