The American Heart Association knows that significant gains can be made by following a regular exercise program and our Step II Diet, which is moderately restricted in total fat, low in saturated fat and cholesterol. If diet and exercise alone don't enable patients to reach the goals they set with their doctors, then medication will be required. And surgery will be needed for some people. It's not clear how many heart disease patients could adhere long-term to a treatment plan such as Dean Ornish's or how many could benefit from such a program.
Moderate exercise is prescribed for each patient, usually a walking program.
The treatment relies on the daily use of stress management techniques including various stretching, breathing, meditation, yoga and relaxation exercises. Patients receive group support and psychological counseling to identify sources of stress and receive tools that help them manage stress more effectively. Smokers participate in a smoking cessation program. Patients participating in Ornish's experimental treatment program, for the most part, don't use lipid-lowering drugs. They weren't asked to make lifestyle changes, but they were free to do so.