Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Cardiovascular disease affects the heart and major blood vessels and is the second leading cause of death in Canada. Lifestyle behaviours account for the majority of cardiovascular disease risk. Consuming a diet rich in plant-based foods decreases disease risk factors, namely cholesterol and inflammation. Regular exercise also mitigates disease risk; however, some evidence suggests that women may not respond to exercise the same way as men. Moreover, whether the long-term combination of an established diet for cholesterol reduction, called the Portfolio Diet, and exercise training enhances health improvements in adults with cardiovascular disease is unknown. The purpose of our ongoing, multi-centre, three year, randomized clinical trial is to investigate the combined effects of the Portfolio Diet and structured exercise training on health markers in adults with cardiovascular disease. We hypothesize that consuming a Portfolio Diet will enhance improvements in body composition (reduced fat and increased muscle mass), disease risk biomarkers (lower cholesterol and inflammation) and fitness following regular exercise training. To investigate this, we will recruit a large sample of 200 adults with cardiovascular disease. Participants will be randomized to receive either i) food from the Portfolio Diet and a monitored exercise program; ii) food from the Portfolio Diet and advice on healthy exercise habits; iii) advice on healthy eating and a monitored exercise program; and iv) advice on both healthy eating and exercise habits. We will compare health changes across the four groups and between men and women. The major goal of this project is to provide evidence-based recommendations for long-term, feasible, lifestyle modification strategies for improving cardiovascular disease risk. Importantly, this research will also increase our knowledge about the influence of sex on lifestyle behaviour-induced improvements on the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.