Coronary heart disease: Dietary patterns

Abstract

Diet is a key modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease that has a high potential to reduce CHD-related morbidity and mortality. Early investigations of how dietary fat influences CHD risk have evolved into studies of overall dietary patterns, which encompass the totality of foods and beverages consumed. Epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials provide strong evidence that individuals following “healthy” dietary patterns are at reduced risk for CHD. The strongest evidence to date indicates that individual's following a Mediterranean Diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or a healthy plant-based diet have a lower CHD risk. Ongoing research utilizing omics data to identify novel biomarkers of dietary intakes holds promise to improve our understanding of individual responses to diet and fuel personalized dietary approaches for CHD prevention.