Heart Risk and Diet: What Do We Tell Patients Now? (Infographic)

As detailed in this related post, recent headlines have spotlighted studies that overturn some longheld beliefs about diet and the heart — or at least add nuance to our understanding.

The effect may be that your patients grow skeptical of any dietary guidance. But patients need to know that broad consensus remains on many dietary recommendations.

To that end, Cleveland Clinic cardiologists Steven Nissen, MD, and Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, helped develop this patient-friendly checklist of where today’s evidence stands on the heart effects of some high-interest food types and nutrients. Share it with a patient today.

The infographic highlights broad expert agreement on the basics of diet and heart health. It notes the following:

• Processed, trans fats raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol and are firmly linked to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
• Saturated fats don’t need to be totally avoided and seem to be safe when consumed in moderation.
• Polyunsaturated fats seem to be neutral in terms of heart health, with some trending toward favorable.
• Monounsaturated fats are supported as heart-healthy by many studies.
• Red wine and chocolate are not, in fact, good for you; the risks outweigh the unproven benefits.
• A high-salt diet probably doesn’t cause high blood pressure, but people with high blood pressure should still seriously limit salt.
• Red meat and eggs contain carnitine and choline, which are converted by your gut and liver into TMAO. TMAO tracks with cardiovascular risk, so counsel patients that it may be wise to cut red meat and egg consumption.
• Finally, cholesterol is only moderately impacted by diet; 80 percent of the cholesterol in the blood is produced by the liver, so patients with high cholesterol should work with their provider to start a cholesterol-lowering program.