Healthy eating patterns and cardiovascular disease: what are the benefits?

This study investigated if intermittent attempts to healthy eating improved cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. They found that healthy eating reduced CVD risk factors.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) can lead to serious events including heart attack, stroke, and death. Healthy eating plays an important role in preventing CVD events. A number of ‘healthy diets’ have been investigated in recent years. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension-style (DASH) and Mediterranean-style (MED) are two healthy eating patterns (HEPs) recommended for patients with CVD. 

Although very useful in treating CVD, it can be difficult for patients to maintain HEPs. HEPs can lead to short-term (and long-term) improvements in CV health. In reality, many patients adopt HEPs for a short period and relapse into an unhealthy diet. Patients may then make an attempt to re-adopt a HEP. It is unclear if a cycle of ‘start/stop/restart’ HEPs has an effect on CVD risk. 

This study reviewed two clinical trials following the DASH (19 patients) and MED (41 patients) diets. In these studies, patients followed HEPs for 5-6 weeks. This was followed by a 4-week period of uncontrolled diet. Then patients began a second HEP cycle. Patients were assessed for a number of CVD factors. Body mass, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood glucose were measured. This data was obtained before the initial HEP, after the uncontrolled eating phase, and after the second HEP cycle. 

Blood pressure and cholesterol decreased after the first HEP cycle, returned to initial levels during the uncontrolled phase and decreased again after the second HEP cycle. Body mass also decreased, increased, but not to initial levels and decreased again after the second HEP. Blood glucose did not change significantly. 

The authors concluded that healthy eating reduced CVD risk factors. The authors encourage patients to try again if the first attempt in healthy eating is unsuccessful.

This study included a small number of patients. This study addresses the effects of short-term dietary HEPs. More investigation is needed to determine if there is any effect of multiple HEP cycles on CVD risk.