These dietary changes include increasing the proportion of fruits and vegetables in the diet, to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
- In France, they are the second cause of death after cancer, according to the Ministry of Health.
- It can be coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, venous thrombosis or even pulmonary embolism.
Cardiovascular diseases are sometimes linked to our lifestyle. According to’World Health Organization“Most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by addressing behavioral risk factors.” Diet is one of them, yet there are no clear data on what type of diet to adopt to improve heart health. A team from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, attached to Harvard Medical School, conducted a study on the subject and points to two diets that are beneficial against cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular diseases: a comparison between 3 diets
Researchers compared the effects of three dietary habits on cardiovascular risk over a ten-year period: diet Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), which consists of consuming lots of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products and few foods containing saturated fatty acids, a diet high in fruits and vegetables, and the Western diet, which is generally low in fruit and vegetables but high in fat and sodium. To observe the effects of these different diets on individual risk of cardiovascular disease, the researchers gathered data from 459 adults who participated in a DASH diet trial between 1994 and 1996.
Cardiovascular risk: the effects of diet differ according to gender and race
Their results are presented in theAmerican Journal of Cardiology. The authors observe that the DASH diet and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables have positive effects on cardiovascular risk: both reduce this risk by approximately 10%. “Our study suggests that the benefits associated with these diets may vary by gender and race, adds Stephen P. Jurashcek, co-author of this study. While a diet high in fruits and vegetables lowered the risk for women and black participants, the effect of the DASH diet was twice as great in women and four times greater in black adults, compared to other participants. .”
How to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease?
For the authors, these results provide important information for “advise patients on their food choices”, as a function of cardiovascular risk. But other changes in habits can improve cardiovascular health. “Quitting smoking, reducing salt intake, (…), practicing regular physical activity and avoiding the harmful use of alcohol have been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.explains theWorld Health Organization. In addition, drug treatment of diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia may be necessary to reduce cardiovascular risk and prevent heart attacks and strokes. When it comes to cardiovascular health, risk factors add up: the more there are, the greater the risk, so it is important to reduce all habits that are harmful to heart health as much as possible.
