Diet Can Circumvent Heart Disease
(HealthDayNews, 5/2/05)

Studies presented at the American Heart Association's annual conference on cardiovascular disease, epidemiology and prevention in Washington, D.C. highlighted 4 simple ways to protect your cardiovascular system:

1. Take plant stanols: Dr. Anne Goldberg of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and team, put 26 people who took cholesterol-lowering statins on a specific diet and assigned them to take either four plant stanol capsules twice daily or a placebo. After nine weeks, cholesterol dropped 9.1 % for the stanol group. These findings suggest that plant stanols, which block cholesterol absorption, may be an effective part of a program to lower cholesterol.

2. Eat whole grains: Emily B. Levitan of the Harvard School of Public Health reports that dietary data gathered from 15,033 participants in the Women's Health Study links diets high in complex carbohydrates and soluble fiber, like whole-grain breads, with lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammation marker linked to heart disease.

3. Bake or broil fish: Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and team, analyzed food surveys from about 5,000 adults to determine the effect of different fish preparation methods on the cardiovascular system. The researchers report that eating baked or broiled fish was associated with healthier heart function; while fried fish intake was associated with unhealthy cardiac function.

4. Perform aerobic exercises: George A. Kelley of the School of Medicine at West Virginia University, and colleagues, analyzed data from 13 studies and concluded that aerobic activities, like jogging and biking. may help lower triglyceride levels in overweight people.