Available studies show convincingly the health benefits of lifestyle changes in CAD patients .
Effect estimates of combined dietary changes look promising .
BACKGROUND Guidelines for lifestyle and dietary modification in patients with coronary artery disease ( CAD ) are mainly supported by evidence from general population studies .
CAD patients , however , differ from the general population in age ( older ) and treatment with preventive drugs .
This review seeks to provide evidence for a prognostic benefit of lifestyle and dietary recommendations from studies in CAD patients .
Alcohol intake and mortality in middle aged men with diagnosed coronary heart disease
OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of alcohol on risk of mortality from coronary heart disease ( CHD ) , cardiovascular disease , and all causes in men with established CHD . METHODS AND RESULTS In a population based prospect i ve study of 7169 men aged 45–64 years followed for a mean of 12.8 years , 655 men ( 9.1 % ) had a physician diagnosis of CHD ( myocardial infa rct ion 455 , angina only 200 ) . In these 655 men , there were 294 deaths from all causes including 175 CHD deaths . Ex-drinkers had the highest risk of CHD , cardiovascular mortality , and all cause mortality even after adjustment for lifestyle characteristics and pre-existing disease . Using occasional drinkers as the reference group , lifelong teetotallers , occasional drinkers , and light drinkers all showed similar risks of mortality from CHD , cardiovascular disease , and all causes . Moderate/heavy drinkers showed increased risk of mortality from CHD , cardiovascular disease , and all causes compared to occasional drinkers . The adverse effect of moderate/heavy drinking was confined to the 455 men with previous myocardial infa rct ion ( adjusted relative risk for all cause mortality 1.50 , 95 % confidence interval 1.01 to 2.23 ) . In contrast to lighter drinking , giving up smoking within five years of the start of follow up was associated with a considerable reduction in risk of all cause and cardiovascular mortality compared to those who continued to smoke . CONCLUSION Compared to occasional drinking , regular light alcohol consumption ( 1–14 units per week ) in men with established coronary heart disease is not associated with any significant benefit or deleterious effect for CHD , cardiovascular disease or all cause mortality . Higher levels of intake ( ⩾ 3 drinks per day ) are associated with increased mortality in men with previous myocardial infa rct ion . In contrast , smoking cessation in men with established CHD substantially reduces the risk of mortality
Available studies show convincingly the health benefits of lifestyle changes in CAD patients .
Effect estimates of combined dietary changes look promising .
BACKGROUND Guidelines for lifestyle and dietary modification in patients with coronary artery disease ( CAD ) are mainly supported by evidence from general population studies .
CAD patients , however , differ from the general population in age ( older ) and treatment with preventive drugs .
This review seeks to provide evidence for a prognostic benefit of lifestyle and dietary recommendations from studies in CAD patients .