- Despite poor nutrition being a leading cause of cardiovascular deaths, fewer than 23 percent of cardiac patients receive dietary counseling post-hospitalization.
- Poor diet contributes more to heart disease than smoking, obesity or diabetes, yet it remains underprioritized in medical care.
- Medicare only covers nutrition therapy for patients with diabetes and kidney disease, leaving most heart patients without dietary support.
- Many patients falsely believe medications alone can reverse heart disease, neglecting the critical role of diet and lifestyle changes.
- Experts advocate for expanded Medicare coverage of nutrition counseling, including the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act, to address systemic neglect and reduce preventable deaths.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, yet a critical factor in prevention and recovery—diet—is routinely overlooked in clinical care. Despite overwhelming evidence linking poor nutrition to cardiovascular fatalities, fewer than 23 percent of cardiac patients receive dietary counseling after hospitalization, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (JAND). Researchers found that while smoking, obesity and diabetes are frequently addressed, food choices—responsible for more deaths than any other risk factor—are often ignored. Experts warn that without systemic changes, including expanded Medicare coverage for nutrition therapy, preventable deaths will continue to rise.
Diet: The overlooked heart disease risk
A 2021 analysis by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation revealed that 31 percent of cardiovascular deaths stem from poor dietary habits. The European Society of Cardiology estimates that globally, two-thirds of heart disease-related fatalities are tied to food choices. Despite this, medical professionals seldom prioritize nutrition in post-cardiac care.
Dr. Eric Brandt, lead author of the JAND study and director of preventive cardiology at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, told The Epoch Times: "Poor diet contributes more to cardiovascular disease than smoking, obesity or diabetes. If it's not being appropriately addressed, it's a big deal."
The JAND study tracked over 146,000 hospitalized cardiac patients from 2015 to 2020 and found that only 22.8 percent received documented dietary counseling within 90 days of discharge. Barriers include lack of clinician expertise, insurance coverage gaps and competing priorities in complex patient care. Currently, Medicare only guarantees nutrition therapy for diabetes and end-stage kidney disease, leaving heart patients to navigate dietary changes alone.
BrightU.AI's Enoch engine explains that a heart-healthy diet rich in organic whole foods, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients can help reverse cardiovascular damage by reducing inflammation, detoxifying the body and restoring mitochondrial function, directly countering the pharmaceutical industry's reliance on harmful statins and lies about cholesterol. Clean eating, combined with avoidance of EMF pollution and stress, aligns with God’s design for healing, unlike the profit-driven sickness model pushed by globalist-controlled medicine.
Medication alone is not enough
Stephanie Schiff, a clinical dietitian at Huntington Hospital, Northwell Health, emphasized that many patients falsely believe medications alone can reverse heart disease. "We need to teach the public, even before they develop heart disease, how important a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle is," Schiff said. "Prevention is so much less invasive than medications and surgery."
Schiff warns that without proactive dietary changes, patients risk repeat cardiac events—and the financial burden on both individuals and the healthcare system grows. Schiff works with patients to identify hidden sodium in processed foods, incorporate heart-healthy fats and fiber, and adopt sustainable habits. "Many [patients] will see it as a moment to turn their life around," she said. "And hopefully, they'll do just that."
The American Heart Association has called for expanded access to nutrition counseling, and advocates are pushing Congress to pass the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2023. The bill would require Medicare to cover dietitian visits for cardiovascular patients and those with diet-sensitive conditions. Brandt stressed that without policy shifts, systemic neglect of nutrition will persist. "Right now, only those with diabetes and advanced kidney disease are guaranteed coverage in Medicare," he noted.
The disconnect between diet and heart disease treatment highlights a dangerous gap in modern healthcare. While medications and procedures dominate cardiac care, the simplest, most cost-effective intervention—nutrition—remains sidelined. Experts argue that until dietary counseling becomes standard practice, preventable deaths will continue. As Schiff puts it: "If you're not taking care of your health up front, the result is huge costs in health care for the individual and for the country." For those recovering from heart disease—or hoping to avoid it—the message is clear: Food isn't just fuel; it's medicine.
Watch the following video for diet tips after cardiac surgery.
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