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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 "The other three [factors] -- exercise, eating a healthy diet, drinking in moderation were all equal," Chiuve said, in terms of reducing heart disease risks.
Some changes can reduce risks particularly quickly, she said. "Within two weeks, eating a healthy diet can reduce blood pressure."
Roberts' group found relatively speedy results from healthy changes, too. In his study, he followed men who had recently entered a residential program for improving their health. They ate a high-fiber, low-fat diet, taking in more than 40 grams a day and less than 15 percent of total calories from fat. They also walked for about 60 minutes a day.
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After just three weeks of this behavior, about half the men reversed their tendency to type 2 diabetes or a cluster of other heart risk factors -- such as elevated blood pressure, insulin levels or high cholesterol -- that together are called the metabolic syndrome.
"We measured 15 or 20 different things," he said. "The lipids [such as cholesterol] tend to change very quickly," he said.
"Body weight [reduction] has a much longer course," he said. While many people focus on body weight reduction, thinking it's the prime factor driving health-related changes, that's not always so, Roberts said.
"Some people think the body weight [change] causes the cholesterol to drop. It's not the body weight per se, but many other mechanisms. The cholesterol can drop independent of body weight," he said.
Simply adding more fiber to the diet and taking out saturated fat, he said, could be beneficial for your lipid profile, as can regular exercise.
"An editorial written in concert with this paper suggests the concept that you have to change for several months is erroneous," he said.
What is needed, he said, is to consider the changes a new life plan, not a temporary fix.
More information
For more on heart-healthy lifestyles, visit the American Heart Association.
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