Abstract
This study examined medical and psychosocial characteristics of 440 patients (mean
age 58 years, 21% women) with coronary artery disease at baseline and at 3-month and
12-month follow-ups. All patients were participants in the Multicenter Lifestyle Demonstration
Project, aimed at improving diet (low fat, whole foods, plant-based), exercise, stress
management, and social support. Spousal participation was encouraged. Both genders
evidenced significant improvements in their diet, exercise, and stress management
practices, which they maintained over the course of the study. Both women and men
also showed significant medical (e.g., plasma lipids, blood pressure, body weight,
exercise capacity) and psychosocial (e.g., quality of life) improvement. Despite their
worse medical, psychosocial, and sociodemographic status at baseline, women’s improvement
was similar to that of men’s. These results demonstrate that a multi-component lifestyle
change program focusing on diet, exercise, stress management, and social support can
be successfully implemented at hospitals in diverse regions of the United States.
Furthermore, this program may be particularly beneficial for women with coronary artery
disease who generally have higher mortality and morbidity than men after a heart attack,
angioplasty, or bypass surgery.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 17,
2003
Received in revised form:
February 17,
2003
Received:
October 24,
2002
Footnotes
Dr. Weidner was supported in part by a Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bonn, Germany.
Identification
Copyright
© 2003 Excerpta Medica Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
