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Can Lifestyle Changes Reverse Coronary Heart Disease? The Lifestyle Heart Trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

David Wheatley  and
C. Bass
David Wheatley
Affiliation:
The Stress Clinic, The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ
C. Bass
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS
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Abstract

“In a prospective, randomised, controlled trial to determine whether comprehensive lifestyle changes affect coronary atherosclerosis after 1 year, 28 patients were assigned to an experimental group (low-fat vegetarian diet, stopping smoking, stress management training, and moderate exercise) and 20 to a usual-care control group. 195 coronary artery lesions were analysed by quantitative coronary angiography. The average percentage diameter stenosis regressed from 40.0 (SD 16.9)% to 37.8 (16.5)% in the experimental group yet progressed from 42.7 (15.5)% to 46.1 (18.5)% in the control group. When only lesions greater than 50% stenosed were analysed, the average percentage diameter stenosis regressed from 61.1 (8.8)% to 55.8 (11.0)% in the experimental group and progressed from 61.7 (9.5)% to 64.4 (16.3)% in the control group. Overall, 82% of experimental-group patients had an average change towards regression. Comprehensive lifestyle changes may be able to bring about regression of even severe coronary atherosclerosis after only 1 year, without use of lipid-lowering drugs.”

Type
The Current Literature
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 158 , Issue 2 , February 1991 , pp. 264 - 267
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1991 

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