This past week in medical school we had pathology lectures covering vascular disease (atherosclerosis etc) and hypertensive medications in pharmacology. For me, the most shocking thing was to see that “exercise” and “diet” were actually NOT listed as known risk factors for atherosclerosis. Though they were mentioned as methods to reduce hypertension in our pharmacologic lectures.

Yesterday, in the New York Times, there was an article about just this very topic.

A federal study looked at the impacts of diet and exercise on 5,145 overweight or obese people with Type II diabetes. Every participant was randomly assigned to “a rigorous diet and exercise regimen or to sessions in which they got general health information.”

And after 11 years, it appears that “the two groups had nearly identical rates of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths.”

Honestly this is astonishing to me. And I am anxious for the original data to be published. I wonder if perhaps just giving the general health information inspired those in the non-diet/exercise group to change their diet and exercise.

But I am also curious how much weight was lost, and if there were notable changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, or lipidemia.

Certainly something to think about!

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