Researchers at BIDMC Medical Center in Boston discovered that adopting a healthy eating pattern for two months can meaningfully reduce the 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The study, reported in the American Journal of Cardiology, highlights how diet can influence long-term heart health and stroke risk even in the short term.
The investigation compared three dietary approaches among 459 adults aged 22 to 75: the DASH diet aimed at lowering blood pressure, a traditional American dietary pattern, and a diet emphasizing fruits and vegetables. The analysis examined how these patterns affected calculated 10-year risks for atherosclerotic cardiovascular events, including stroke, hypertension, and heart attack. The authors observed that the DASH and plant-forward diets produced distinct yet related benefits, while both deviated notably from the standard American diet in ways tied to blood pressure and overall risk profiles.
Findings showed that both the DASH diet and the fruit-and-vegetable–rich pattern lowered the estimated 10-year risk for atherosclerotic diseases by more than nine percentage points. Specifically, the DASH regimen reduced risk by a little over 10%, while the plant-forward approach achieved a reduction close to 10%. Interestingly, the most pronounced effects were seen among women and Black adults, suggesting that these dietary strategies can yield meaningful benefits across diverse populations when adopted consistently.
Across all participants, adherence to healthier eating patterns correlated with lower systolic blood pressure. The DASH diet in particular produced notable blood pressure reductions. However, a counterbalancing factor emerged: while DASH lowered blood pressure, some participants experienced modest declines in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, commonly referred to as the “good cholesterol.” When taken together, these dynamics resulted in comparable overall cardiovascular risk reductions between the DASH and plant-forward diets, underscoring that multiple healthy eating patterns can yield substantial, similar benefits for heart health.