Unhealthy lifestyles play a key role in the onset of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and subsequent cardiovascular events, including improper diet, smoking or second-hand smoke exposure, obesity, sedentary behavior, excessive alcohol drinking and chronic mental stress. Below is a brief introduction to dietary intervention for coronary heart disease patients.

Unhealthy dietary patterns for coronary heart disease patients fall into three categories:

1. High-cholesterol diet

Cholesterol, especially low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, contributes to the formation, progression and rupture of coronary atherosclerotic plaques. Excessive intake of exogenous cholesterol elevates blood cholesterol levels and raises the risk of cardiovascular incidents.

2. High-calorie diet

Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for coronary heart disease. Excess calories from high-sugar and high-fat foods that exceed bodily energy expenditure lead to overweight, obesity, dyslipidemia and impaired glucose regulation, which hinder disease control.

3. High-sodium diet (especially for patients complicated with hypertension)

High sodium intake boosts blood pressure, a critical risk factor of coronary heart disease. For patients with coronary heart disease complicated with cardiac insufficiency, excess salt expands blood volume, increases cardiac load and may trigger heart failure.

Accordingly, adjusting improper eating patterns is vital for coronary heart disease patients, with specific requirements as follows:

1. Moderately cut dietary cholesterol intake. Minimize consumption of high-cholesterol foods such as animal offal.

2. Reduce saturated fat and high-calorie foods. Limit animal fat and vegetable oils rich in saturated fatty acids (e.g. palm oil). Cut back on sweets and sugary drinks to maintain a healthy body mass index below 24 kg/m².

3. Increase intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, low-fat or skim dairy products, poultry, fish and soybeans. Maintain low fat and moderate calorie and protein intake while ensuring adequate vitamins, potassium, calcium, magnesium and dietary fiber.

4. Restrict sodium intake. Reduce cooking salt and salty condiments, and limit high-sodium processed foods including pickles and preserved vegetables. Keep daily sodium chloride intake under 6 grams.