Have you read the book? [Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease] If not buy it (around 15 bucks at Borders) and all will become very clear. One can't take a paragraph here and a paragraph there from internet snippets and get the full benefit of reading the entire book. I've lost 12 lbs in 2 months, BP has gone from 150ish/100ish to 126/79 resting, and my HP has gone from 70's to 60-65 at night and I'm 54 YO male. I take no BP meds and my BP stays like that in light of the fact I take 10mg's @day of Adderall (a stimulant) for adult ADD. I've haven't felt this well (physically) for some time. More energy (ask my wife, wink, wink, nudge, nudge), greater stamina, and I feel like a 20 year old (now if I could only find one!)!
Let me say as well this is NOT a placebo effect either my PCP has seen a difference.
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See these Heart Trial(s) here
http://tinyurl.com/4b2ab
http://tinyurl.com/55exe
An HDL is very good. We all should be so lucky to have an HDL that high.
Yes i agree with Eric...family history plays a major role.
I believe that Family history is the #1 risk factor.
I have seen so many 60 yr olds who are over-weight and smoke and their arteries are clean as a whistle, then i ask them "anyone in your family ever had heart disease"...they always say no.
The bottom line is most CAD is hereditary in nature. Lifestyle factors play a modest role in our heart health.
You know its true that a low fat diet can lower your HDL, as it did to me. When i went on a restricted low fat diet, my LDL went down from 105 to 90 but my HDL fell from 44 to 38. ALthough the low fat diet is good if your exercising well and taking half a glass of red wine daily, fish oil, and adding fiber in your low fat diet will raise your HDL and lower your LDL.
The atkins diet is good if you dont exercise.
Hi Jerry sounds like you have a great diet however with a diet that low in fat I would have bet your LDLs would be below 100. Thats why it is so tough with even a much better than average diet for the average person who is predisposed to high cholesterol to get and maintain good ratios over the long term with diet alone. Just a thought... Take care
Hi Jerry,
These are questions we just don't know the answer to. Claims are made based on logic and assumptions without good clinic studies to back them up. As a rule, too much of anything is probably bad and moderation goes a long way. I agree that the United States eats too many simple carbohydrates and could stand a moderate low carbohydrate diet, high in fiber. There is good data for the Mediterranian diet.
If you want to cut your risk of cardiovascular disease:
don't smoke
exercise
control risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and increased cholesterol (which you don't have).
I hope this helps.