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Have aHeart 
£1.90
A guide to preventing and treating cardiovascular disease.Covers heart disease, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, varicose veins,high cholesterol, high blood pressure and more…
By Amanda Woodvine, Senior Health Campaigner, Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation
INC L UD E S S E V E N-D A Y ME NU P L A NW IT H R E C IP E S 
 
23Cardiovascular disease (CVD) describesconditions that affect the heart andblood vessels. These conditions usuallyinvolve hardening and narrowing of thearteries (atherosclerosis).Every few minutes someone in Britaindies of CVD. It’s very much a Westerndisease related to our lifestyle. Incontrast,
the majority of the rest of theworld’s population never experiences it.
CVD can be prevented and evenreversed. Plaques in the heart’s bloodvessels can be dissolved – withoutmedications or surgery. The diet for thisis not radical –
many people in theworld eat this way.
The information, tips and recipes in thisguide will show you how.
CONTENTS
3What is CardiovascularDisease (CVD)?3Clogged Arteries(Atherosclerosis)3The Role of Atherosclerosis in CoronaryHeart Disease (CHD)4Angina4Diets to Prevent or ReverseAtherosclerosis, Anginaand CHD5Strokes5Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)5Diets to Prevent orReverse DVT6Peripheral Artery Disease(PAD)6Actions to Prevent orReverse PAD6Venous Insufficiency andVaricose Veins7Actions to Prevent orReverse Venous Insufficiency8Selected CVD Risk Factors:8Cholesterol9High Blood Pressure(Hypertension)10Homocysteine10Overweight and Obesity10Omega-3 Essential Fats11Diets in Practice:11Dr Dean Ornish11Dr Caldwell Esselstyn12The Okinawa Way12The Framingham Study13Tips for Preventing andReversing CVD14Veganising for a HappyHeart187-Day Menu Plan
WHAT IS CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE?
Clogged Arteries(Atherosclerosis)
Atherosclerosis is a hardening or‘furring’ of the arteries. It starts whenthe blood vessels are damaged. This canoccur for many reasons, such as stress,high blood pressure or even a viral orbacterial infection.The body’s response is inflammation. Itsends in certain fix-it cells (white bloodcells) to try to repair the damage. Overtime, the white blood cells collect fattydeposits (plaques). These plaques buildup on the inner artery walls, narrowingthe arteries.Incredibly, autopsy studies show thatfatty streaks in the arteries – the firstsigns of furring up – are found even invery young children. The morecholesterol in the blood, the faster theplaques grow. The plaques mayeventually become so thick that theycompletely block the flow of bloodthrough the arteries.Many diet and lifestyle factors can cutyour risk of atherosclerosis – and cantherefore reduce your risk of CVD. (Seepages 8 to 14.)
The Role of Atherosclerosis inCoronary Heart Disease (CHD)
The heart is a pump which circulatesblood around the body. Like othermuscles, it needs oxygen and othernutrients to provide the energy for itswork. The coronary arteries providethis, supplying the heart with oxygen-rich blood.Coronary heart disease, or CHD,usually occurs as a result of atherosclerosis. Plaques in the coronaryarteries reduce blood supply to the heartmuscles. In some cases, plaques rupture,causing a blood clot to form. If bloodflow to the heart is blocked by a bloodclot a heart attack can occur.Heart attacks can be silent and painlessor they can be extremely painful anddeadly. Permanent damage to the heartcan occur – in fact the affected part of the heart can die. In the following weeksthis dead muscle is replaced by scartissue. Unlike the rest of the heart, scartissue can’t contract, which makes theheart work less efficiently.By the time heart problems are detected,the underlying cause (atherosclerosis) is
© Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation 2007. Registered Charity 1037486.Published by Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation, Top Suite, 8 York Court,Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH.T: 0117 970 5190 E: info@vegetarian.org.uk W: www.vegetarian.org.uk
 
Strokes
A stroke is sudden damage to the braincaused by lack of blood supply orrupture of a blood vessel in the brain.The damaged cells die and the parts of the body they control cease to function.A major cause is furring up of thearteries – made worse by high bloodpressure and diabetes.Strokes are the leading cause of disability in the UK and the third mostcommon cause of death after cancer andCHD. Warning signs include suddennumbness or weakness (especially onone side of the body); confusion;difficulty in speaking or understanding;difficulty in seeing; problems withwalking or loss of balance orcoordination and sudden headache.The higher the blood pressure the higherthe risk of strokes and pressures at thetop of the range can increase that risktenfold. The effectiveness of a vegetariandiet in reducing blood pressure (see
HighBlood Pressure
, page 9) applies equallyto reducing the risk of strokes. Eatingjust five or more servings of fresh fruitand veg a day would result in a majorreduction in strokes.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
DVT is associated with blood clots thatform in the extremities – mostcommonly the legs. Most people withDVT have no symptoms but some doexperience swelling, tenderness, warmthand redness in the affected area.A complication of DVT is a conditioncalled pulmonary embolism – a leadingpreventable cause of death in hospitals.Pulmonary embolism occurs when ablood clot travels through thebloodstream from the leg or otherextremity to the lung. Once there, it canchoke off blood supply cause life-threatening lung and heart diseases.Symptoms of pulmonary embolisminclude shortness of breath, sharp chestpains and coughing up blood.5usually quite advanced, havingprogressed quietly for decades. Post-mortem examinations of youngAmerican soldiers killed in the Koreanwar found artery blockages were alreadypresent in 77 per cent. Their Asiancounterparts, however, had muchhealthier arteries, probably due tohealthier diets consisting mainly of riceand vegetables.
Angina
With angina, the blood vessels supplyingthe heart are partially, rather than fully,blocked by atherosclerosis. This reducedcapacity allows enough blood to theheart when a person is resting but notenough to provide sufficient oxygen forphysical activity. This can lead todiscomfort or severe chest pain. Thepain may also occur in the shoulders,arms, neck, jaw or back or feel likeindigestion. There is also sometimesdifficulty in breathing, weakness,sweating, fear of death, nausea,numbness or tingling in the arms orfingers. In some cases there are nosymptoms at all.4As with all heart-related diseases,vegetarians suffer less than meat eatersand the more meat you eat, the morelikely you are to end up with cloggedarteries. It’s a very serious condition butfortunately, recent research shows thatan animal-free diet can heal some of thedamage done to the arteries. A low-fat,vegetarian diet eaten for just a year canreverse blockages, resulting in animproved blood flow.Vegetarians are less at risk of heartdisease and have up to 50 per cent lesschance of dying from it. If everyone in theUK went vegetarian, about 40,000 lives ayear would be saved – perhaps a veggiediet should be available on prescription!Apart from being slimmer, having lowercholesterol levels and lower bloodpressure levels, research suggests yetanother factor may protect vegetariansagainst heart disease. Salicylic acid intheir blood is up to one-and-a-half times higher than in meat eaters’.Salicylic acid is the main ingredient inaspirin, prescribed to reduce the risk of heart attacks by fighting theinflammation that causes it. (See
Clogged Arteries
, page 3.) And it seemsthat salicylic acid is also present in fruitand vegetables.If you still doubt that simple fruit andveg can have such a dramatic effect it’sworth listening to William C. Roberts,distinguished editor-in-chief of theprestigious
American Journal of Cardiology
:
Diets to Prevent or Reverse Atherosclerosis,Angina and CHD
DVT is rare in countries that follow alow-fat, unrefined, plant-based diet, lowin animal products and high in dietaryfibre. High cholesterol levels mayincrease the risk.The following may prevent DVT:•Reducing cholesterol and saturatedfat in your diet and increasingdietary fibre can dramatically reduceyour blood cholesterol. Low-fatvegetarian diets are particularlyeffective;•Maintaining a healthy weight (see
Overweight and Obesity
, page 10)as obesity increases the risk of DVT.
Diets to Prevent or Reverse DVT 
“Although human beings eat meat we are not natural carnivores. Nomatter how much fat carnivores eat they do not develop atherosclerosis.When we kill animals to eat them,they end up by killing us becausetheir flesh, which containscholesterol and saturated fat, wasnever intended for human beingswho are natural herbivores.” 
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