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. He found that the 22 patients who had followed his program for four years, on the average, showed less blockage in their arteries and improved blood flow to their hearts. They showed more blockages in their arteries after four years than after one year, and less blood flow to their hearts. I Diet of the American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Program.