NEW DELHI: A low-fat, high-fibre vegetarian diet and an hour-long daily walk, accompanied by stress management through rajyoga meditation not only leads to regression of coronary artery disease (CAD) but also reduces angina — chest pain when the heart does not get enough blood.

A nine-year study, Abu Healthy Heart Trial (AHHT), the largest ever to see how lifestyle interventions can cause coronary artery regression, conducted jointly by Defence Research Development Organisation and Global Hospital Research Centre, Mount Abu, has concluded that the above practices improved CAD regression by 11.82%, improved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (pumping of pure blood into the aorta) by over 30% and caused biochemical regression in the form of reduction of cholesterol by 24%.

It also significantly reduced the production of stress hormones including epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol levels inside the body, with an increase of tranquility molecules such as serotonin and beta endorphins.

Interestingly, the study that was financed by health ministry’s Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy was commissioned by President A P J Abdul Kalam in 1998.

Kalam, who was then scientific adviser to the defence minister and secretary of DRDO, has been reviewing the study through these nine years and has visited the study site of Mount Abu five times, once after becoming president.

According to W Selvamurthy, chief controller (R&D) of DRDO and project coordinator, the study followed 516 patients divided into two groups — one that was given the conventional treatment for CAD like bypass surgery and angioplasty, and the other that made lifestyle changes.

Selvamurthy told TOI: "Lifestyle interventions have shown significant clinical, biochemical, electro cardiographic and angiographic regression of CAD. Bad cholesterol or low density lipoprotein was reduced by 31% and triglycerides by 32%.

"Good cholesterol increased by 16%. Unlike other CAD patients who tire very easily, the sample group with CAD that made lifestyle changes, recorded an increase in duration of their physical work.

There was an increase in high-density lipoproteins (HDL) that removes cholesterol from atheroma within arteries and transports it back to the liver for excretion.

There was also an increase in alpha waves in the brain indicating mental tranquility. Para sympathetic activity also increased indicating relaxation of the whole body."

Unveiling the study at the recent World Congress on Clinical and Preventive Cardiology 2006 in Rajasthan, Kalam said the study's healthy heart lifestyle module programme was user friendly, safe, cost effective and should be used by people for curtailing progression of CAD, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality.

"This way, patients can bypass the need for a bypass surgery. A healthy heart lifestyle right from childhood is the only hope to curb the rising menace of coronary heart disease in India," Kalam said.