We are writing to provide our perspectives in response to a recent interview by Steven Nissen, MD, in MedPage Today that we hope will be useful to its readers. We have great respect for Nissen and honor his many contributions to the field.
However, Nissen's statement that, "There is no diet that's been shown to reverse heart disease" is not supported by the data.
Used appropriately, statins can be useful, and other medications can be lifesaving, but so are comprehensive lifestyle changes. Informed physicians will optimize all of these for their patients. Even pharma companies recommend that if one can achieve optimal reductions in LDL-cholesterol by diet and lifestyle, that should be the first step.
The problem is that many physicians do not recommend diet and lifestyle changes intensive enough to have an effect. In our randomized, controlled trials, we found a 40% average reduction in LDL (i.e., comparable to statins) in patients who were asked to consume a whole foods plant-based diet low in both fat and refined carbohydrates (along with moderate exercise, meditation/yoga, and social support).