Show r D Doctor Doctorin i D r in the Kitchen j t by Laurence M. M Hursh MD M.D. 1 Consultant National Dairy alry Council DONT DON'T PANIC OVER HEART DISEASE We really do not know whether modifying diet to lower levels of ch cholesterol in the blood reduces or prevents heart peart disease This This a scientific fa wu again g lii emphasized sized last summer when the National National Na Heart Ie Lung Institute released to the US U.S. Congress Con- Con grass gress a special report on heart disease The report in response to Public Pub lie lic Law 92 was put together by the National Heart Ie Lung Advisory Advisory Ad Ad- Council a special group formed specifically to survey all we we know about heart disease and make recommendations for a national national national na plan to approach the lean lem The lem The Council in n turn set up up panel groups of specialists on the various phases of heart disease And when their reports were in the Council added its Ita ov overall raU recommendation recommendations recommendations re re- re- re commendations commendation and submitted the total report to NULL As AI a physician cian clan I regard this as a thorough and objective assessment of the heart disease situation atlon r- r rone one which we have very much needed Change Not No Recommended The report does not recommend that the general public change its diet for fear of heart disease It merely and properly in my opinion ion recommended that individuals Individual al als who are high risks with respect respect re re- to heart disease be fled fied and treated by intervention The latter is a afancy afancy afancy fancy phrase for utilizing medical means to reduce as many of of a a patients patient's risks as possible This could mean control of ion sion reduction or elimination n of smoking getting more more exercise taking it easier and perhaps modIfying modifying mod diet dietor or using frug g to lower b blood Od ch cholesterol ur Finding The Real Red Answers Annen But to find the real to heart disease the the report spells it lt out we wont won't know until extensive ex ex- clinical trials are Performed performed performed Per Per- per per- formed whether we know horn to help anyone or not For example the report says in part Conduct controlled clinical trials to to determine determine deter deter- mine the effectiveness emphasis added of specific risk and environmental modi modification modification In retarding the slon of and preventing preventing pre venting clinical I disease These specific trials should include the foU following wi a Diet modification in closed and living free-living populations a Serum lipid reduction by by whatever methods are avaU available ble diet diet drugs surgery or other methods that may be devised to test the lipid hypothesis' hypothesis Other specific risk factor modification mod I particularly sion slon To do all aU that thans is recommended recommend d of of which the dietary y aspect isa Is Isa isa a small part part part- the Council sug suggested g Bested a budget of 26 28 billion l for forthe the next five years In transmute transmitting ing lug the proposal to to Congress NULl attached a modified plan which would cost coat an estimated 19 billion over the next five years |