Eating healthy could prevent a second heart attack

Mahshid

Roughly 20 million people worldwide survive a heart attack or stroke each year. McMaster researcher Mahshid Dehghan says a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish can significantly lower the risk of a second incident.


McMaster researchers have found that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish significantly lowers the chance of a second heart attack and stroke among people with cardiovascular disease.

Each year, at least 20 million people worldwide survive a heart attack or stroke. While drug treatments such as Aspirin substantially lower their risk of another cardiac episode, the McMaster study is the first to show a high-quality diet also significantly lowers risk. In other words, a heart-healthy diet offers a consistent benefit over and above the benefits of medications.

A five-year study involving nearly 32,000 patients revealed the major benefits of a heart-healthy diet, including:

  • 35 per cent reduction in risk for cardiovascular death
  • 14 per cent reduction in risk for new heart attacks
  • 28 per cent reduction in risk for congestive heart failure
  • 19 per cent reduction in risk for stroke

The average age of participants was 66.5, and those selected for the study came from 40 countries around the globe. The findings were posted online Monday in the American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal.

“At times, patients don’t think they need to follow a healthy diet since their medications have already lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol. That is wrong,” said Mahshid Dehghan, the study’s lead author and nutritionist at McMaster’s Population Health Research Institute. “Dietary modification has benefits in addition to those seen with Aspirin, angiotensin modulators, lipid-lowering agents and beta blockers.”

For the study, researchers assessed the association between diet and the risk of cardiovascular disease, using information collected from men and women in two major McMaster-led global studies: ONTARGET and TRANSCEND.

Participants with cardiovascular disease were asked how often they consumed milk, vegetables, fruits, grains, fish, nuts, meat and poultry over the past 12 months. They were also asked about lifestyle choices such as alcohol consumption, smoking and exercise. A healthy diet was indicated by a high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts as well as a high intake of fish compared to meat, poultry and eggs.

Different regions of the world were grouped based on food habit. Globally, healthy eating was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease by more than 20 per cent. Similar results were found in middle and high-income countries in different regions of the world.

Researchers believe this is the first study to report on the positive impact of healthy eating for individuals with cardiovascular disease – specifically, those who are taking medication to prevent a second heart attack, stroke or death.

“Physicians should advise their high-risk patients to improve their diet and eat more vegetables, fruits, grains and fish,” Dehghan said. “This could substantially reduce cardiovascular recurrence beyond drug therapy alone and save lives globally.”