130 THE CHINA STUDYthe researchers asked of them and were rewarded with improved health
and vitality. On average, their total cholesterol dropped from 227 mgldL
to 172 mgldL, and their "bad" LDL cholesterol dropped from 152 mgl
dL to 95 mgldL. And after one year, the frequency, duration and sever-
ity of their chest pains plummeted. Further, it was clear that the closer
the patients adhered to the lifestyle recommendations, the more their
hearts healed. The patients who had the best adherence over the course
of the year saw the blockages in their arteries diminish by over 4%. Four
percent may seem like a small number, but remember that heart disease
builds up over a lifetime, so a 4% change in only a year is a fantastic
result. In all, 82% of the patients in the experimental group had regression
in their heart disease over the course of a year.
The control group did not fare so well, despite the fact that they re-
ceived the usual care. Their chest pain became worse in terms of frequen-
cy, duration and severity. For example, although the experimental group
experienced a 91% reduction in the frequency of chest pain, the control
group experienced a 165% rise in the frequency of chest pain. Their cho-
lesterollevels were significantly worse than those of the experimental pa-
tients, and the blockages in their arteries also became worse. The patients
in the group who were the least attentive to diet and lifestyle changes had
blockages that increased in size by 8% over the course of the year.46
Between Dr. amish, Dr. Esselstyn and others before them, like Dr.
Morrison, I believe that we have found the strategic link in our heart
disease battle plan. Their dietary treatments not only relieve the symp-
toms of chest pain, but they also treat the cause of heart disease and
can eliminate future coronary events. There are no surgical or chemical
heart disease treatments, at the Cleveland Clinic or anywhere else, that
can compare to these impressive results.
THE FUTUREThe future is filled with hope. We now know enough to nearly eliminate
heart disease. We know not only how to prevent the disease, but how to
successfully treat it. We do not need to crack open our breast plates to
reroute our arteries, and we do not need a lifetime of powerful drugs in
our blood. By eating the right food, we can keep our hearts healthy.
The next step is to implement this dietary approach on a large scale,
which is exactly what Dr. Dean Omish is currently working on. His
research group has begun the Multicenter Lifestyle Demonstration
Project, which represents the future of heart disease health care. Teams