A healthy diet reduces the risk of complications in patients medicated for cardiovascular disease or diabetes

The present study examined whether combining a healthy diet with medications has an added benefit on the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes .

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are conditions affecting the heart and/or blood vessels. Many medications, such as beta blockers, angiotensin modulators, and statins, can reduce the risk of CV events in people with CVD. A healthy diet has also been shown to reduce CV events in patients without CVD. However, it is not clear how a healthy diet benefits patients with CVD, or whether a healthy diet has an added value in patients already on medications. Many CVD patients are advised to follow a healthy diet and also take medication prescribed for their CVD. Therefore, it is important to understand how healthy diet and medications interact to benefit patients' health.

The authors combined two large, independent trials to assess the joint ability of diet plus medication to prevent CV events, such as heart attacks (myocardial infarction; MI), stroke, and CV-related death. Both studies included patients with a CVD or diabetes taking telmisartan (Micardis) and/or ramipril (Altace), drugs in the class of angiotensin modulators. Many patients were also taking beta blockers, statins, or aspirin during the trial. 31,546 patients were included in these trials, and each patient completed a questionnaire that assessed the quality of their diet. Of these patients, approximately 16% (5,190 people) suffered CV events during the trials. By comparing diet quality to the likelihood of CV events, the researchers found that people with the top 20% of diets were significantly less likely to suffer a CV event than the bottom 20% of diets. This pattern was consistent, regardless of risk factors, medications, and previous disease. Overall, the risk of death from a CV event was reduced by 35%, MI by 14%, heart failure by 28%, and stroke by 19%.

Patients with CVD who follow a healthy diet are less likely to suffer CV events.

This study is correlational. Therefore, it does not demonstrate that diet definitely causes fewer CV events.

If you have a CVD, ask your doctor how you can improve your diet to reduce your risk of CV events.