The headline to this blogpost is somewhat misleading, in that the study in question did not look at heart disease but at lipoproteins as risk factors for heart disease. Most people are familiar with the concept of high cholesterol being a risk factor for heart disease. The real story is far more complex. Total cholesterol as a risk factor is nearly meaningless in most cases. Even knowing one's low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) values is next to meaningless. What is meaningful is the amount of LDL and HDL particles and their sizes. A recent study published in the American Heart Journal found that putting sedentary middle-aged individuals on an exercise program effected their LDL and HDL particle numbers and sizes in a beneficial way, regardless of how closely they adhered to the diet recommended by the American Heart Association. Now this could also be a statement about the effectiveness of the AHA diet. This study does show that the biggest favor you could do yourself is to be physically active on a consistent basis.
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