Dietary Weight Loss Reverses Atherosclerosis

In a fundamental discovery with sweeping public health implications Israeli researchers have proven for the first time that the process of long-term weight loss is capable of reversing heart disease¹.

The study tested low-fat, low-carbohydrate, and Mediterranean diets over a two-year period in 140 overweight people (88% men, average age 51). It found that any of the diets could produce cardiovascular benefit as long as a certain amount of weight was lost. This means that it is the process of weight loss, not dietary components, that are responsible for the improvement.

In the two-year period those with 11 pounds of weight loss had more improvement in their arteries than those with 7 pounds. Those losing the most weight that also lowered their blood pressure from diet had the most benefit in terms of arterial improvement.
Because participants already on blood pressure medication or cholesterol medication were left on them, the study was able to prove that it was the diet-related weight loss, not the drugs, which were improving the health of arteries. This is consistent with what I have been saying for years: better numbers on paper due to drugs is not the same thing as better numbers because you are actually healthy.

In other words, if you are on blood pressure medication and you are not losing weight then there is little chance you are reversing the health condition in your arteries. Conversely, naturally lowering your blood pressure from the process of weight loss sets true cardiovascular improvement into motion.

This is good news for overweight people. It means you don't have to lose all the weight to create an environment within your body that starts to unravel the issue of heart disease. It means that if you just get consistently on track, and maintain that consistency over time, you can significantly improve your health. You will get to your goal weight sooner or later – but health benefits start during the early phases of such an improvement effort.