Heart Disease Risk Reduction Protocol

Dean Ornish's Lifestyle Heart Trial (Lancet, 1990) was a small randomized trial: after a year of intensive lifestyle change, artery narrowing on angiography shrank slightly in the lifestyle group and worsened in the usual-care group. Caldwell Esselstyn's 2014 case series (198 volunteers with heart disease, no control group) reported that among the 177 who stuck to the diet, 1 person (0.6%) had a major cardiac event over about 3.7 years, compared with 13 of 21 who did not. These are encouraging but small studies. The Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil has stronger evidence for fewer heart attacks and strokes (Lyon Diet Heart Study, PREDIMED). Stress management, exercise and social support each improve blood vessel function and blood pressure. Aged garlic extract has small studies on coronary calcium progression. Since 2010, Medicare has covered the Ornish program and the Pritikin program as intensive cardiac rehabilitation for qualifying heart conditions. The best results come from combining intensive lifestyle change with the medical care your cardiologist recommends. Check every supplement with your prescriber for interactions.