Reversing Heart Disease

Is it possible to reverse heart disease without surgery or medication? CBS This Morning Health and Medical Contributor Dr. Emily Senay has this report.

There is new evidence that it is possible to reverse heart disease with lifestyle changes alone.

In a study, researchers put one group of patients with coronary heart disease on a comprehensive lifestyle program, created by California cardiologist and best-selling author Dr. Dean Ornish.

It includes a 10 percent fat vegetarian diet, yoga, and stress management training. No medication was used.

At the same time, a second group followed the American Heart Association's guidelines, which include a diet of up to 30 percent fat and moderate exercise. Sixty percent of the second group also took cholesterol-lowering drugs.

After five years, the researchers found, members of the first group, who ate a 10 percent fat diet, had reversed the progression of their heart disease. Their coronary arteries were less clogged than when the study started.

Those in the second group showed a worsening of heart disease. Their arteries were more clogged. They also experienced twice as many coronary events, such as heart attacks, than the first group.