Diet, Smoking, and Alcohol: Influence on Coronary Heart Disease Risk

The Framingham study on coronary heart disease (CHD) has shown that life-style, particularly diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption, has a great impact on the incidence of CHD. Blood lipoproteins, rather than total blood cholesterol, have been found to be more accurate predictors of CHD risk. Blood triglyceride, previously considered to have little bearing on CHD risk, was found to have a negative impact in many cases. A population subgroup with high triglyceride greater than or equal to 1.7 mmol/L (greater than or equal to 150 mg/dL), low high-density lipoprotein less than or equal to 1.04 mmol/L (less than or equal to 40 mg/dL), increased insulin resistance, and a higher incidence of diabetes mellitus has been found to be at increased risk for CHD. Diet intervention trials have shown that a reduction in total cholesterol and saturated fat consumption produced reduction in CHD incidence proportionate to the fall in cholesterol. Cigarette smoking increased CHD risk moderately; those who smoked one pack per day had twice the risk of nonsmokers. Alcohol consumption actually lowered CHD incidence in the Framingham study; however, when alcohol consumption was greater than two drinks per day, a rise in mortality from cancer and stroke was observed.