# CDC Should Prescribe Plant-Based Diet for Middle-Aged Hearts

**By Neal Barnard, MD, FACC** · 2018-09-11

![plant-based-diet2](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0319/0960/9603/files/plant-based-diet2-300x225.jpg)Middle-aged adults are being especially hard hit by heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So it just launched Million Hearts to help prevent a million heart attacks and strokes by 2022. The initiative encourages people to eat a heart-healthy diet, get physically active, and quit smoking. Good advice. But the CDC’s Million Hearts Initiative should be clear that the heart-healthiest diet is a plant-based diet. The CDC says that about 16 million heart attacks, strokes, and related events could happen by 2022, but that 80% of premature heart disease and strokes are preventable by focusing on what it calls the ABCS of heart health: Aspirin use when appropriate, Blood pressure control, Cholesterol management, and Smoking cessation.  Well, research shows that eating more fruits, vegetables, grains and beans, and avoiding meat, dairy products and eggs – which are packed with saturated fat and cholesterol – is the best prescription for blood pressure control and cholesterol management. In fact, my colleagues and I recently published a scientific review in _Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases_ that looked at multiple clinical trials and observational studies and found that a plant-based diet: • Reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 40%. • Reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 40%. • Fully or partially opens blocked arteries in up to 91% of patients. • Reduces the risk of hypertension by 34%. • Is associated with 29 mg/dL and 23 mg/dL lower total cholesterol and LDL-C levels, respectively, compared with non-vegetarian diets. Of course, plenty of other research shows similar benefits. So if the CDC wants to help prevent 1 million heart attacks by 2022, a plant-based diet is good medicine. _Photo from [here](https://www.flickr.com/photos/intrepidflame/14564825029/in/photolist-oc3x3V-9YDEVn-7scL97-aER4UD-5GzA1a-epG6ME-pbTniV-f9wEYS-EcBBiU-2aGL5ej-e1vMPS-pojJ2Q-86g5Hs-aBPeEs-aMxfpt-4vX5tU-GrFvyt-bAsuRT-21f4N8G-3LSVYW-Fri5x-mX87Z-eeaGuP-e1vz9C-27kPJfw-agMfXf-4Mou6V-iTJdyf-8w7wtE-98mHwR-2a6Fx3i-53Z1HN-21Fc96j-62P1F8-NahHSw-9Diegu-ZyeUVb-anfmdf-TFuE4R-kYjXgc-9VWJEk-4pEUi5-cRtMvL-bt23WZ-p9BKng-oczFno-yc77Y-SHFn5T-GnU1bi-f8VsSj), with thanks._

**Tags:** cardiovascular health, Category_Health Concerns, heart disease, plant-based diet, vegetarian

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> Source: [Village Green Apothecary](https://myvillagegreen.com/blogs/post/cdc-should-prescribe-plant-based-diet-for-middle-aged-hearts)