Diet and Fitness: A Proven Path to Heart Health

Lifestyle changes can slash your risk for cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes

By Karen Pallarito
HealthDay Reporter

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FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- It may not be a magic wand for better health, but it sure seems to come close.

Eating healthfully and exercising regularly can sharply lower your risk of death from cardiovascular disease -- the leading cause of death in the United States -- and type 2 diabetes, a major risk factor for heart disease.

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That's the uplifting word from Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the Harvard School of Public Health's department of nutrition. Willett is also the principal architect of the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) II, one of the largest prospective studies of risk factors for chronic disease in women.

His eye-opening report, "Diet and Optimal Health: A Progress Report," suggests that better lifestyles habits could prevent 80 percent of heart disease and 90 percent of type 2 diabetes. These estimates are based on the NHS II study, begun in 1989, the original NHS study, launched in 1979, and dozens of other studies focusing on the effects of lifestyle on heart disease and diabetes.

An estimated 71 million Americans suffer from heart disease, and 2.4 million die from it each year, making it the nation's top killer, according to the American Heart Association. And, as many as 20 million adults and children have type 2 diabetes, says the National Institutes of Health.

Willett maintains that staggering reductions in disease risk are achievable -- and with fairly modest changes. For instance, he suggests that switching from highly refined to whole grain breads and cereals is one way to improve your odds against these diseases.

"This is pretty easy, as it can mostly be done by substitution," Willett said. "For example, replace a low fiber cereal with a 100 percent whole grain cereal; replace white bread with whole grain bread; replace white rice and potatoes with brown rice and other whole grains."

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