Good Carbs Cut Heart Disease Risk  

While the debate rages on over low- and no-carbohydrate diets, an international study reiterates that a diet high in whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables significantly reduces the risk of heart disease.

"There is a lot of controversy right now about how much carbohydrate we should have in our diet verses fat and protein," says lead author of the study, Dr. Mark A. Pereira.

But this study, he says, reinforces the current dietary guidelines that suggest the base of your diet should be fibre-rich fruit, vegetables and grains.

Pereira and his colleagues collected data on 91,058 men and 245,186 women who participated in 10 studies in the United States and Europe. The study looked at the foods the participants ate and measured the amount of fibre in the participants' diets.

For each 10 grams of fibre consumed a day, the risk of heart disease was reduced by 14 per cent, Pereira says. They also found a 27 pe rcent decrease in the risk of dying from heart disease.

The association between fibre and death from heart disease was particularly strong, the study says. For every 10 grams of cereal fibre consumed a day, the risk for death from heart disease was lowered by 25 per cent. For every 10 grams of fruit fibre consumer daily, the risk dropped 30 per cent.

The researchers determined the findings were independent of other factors that reduce the risk for heart disease, such as not smoking, exercising and weight control, he says.

"If you are concerned about your risk for heart disease, one of the key features of your diet should be plant-based foods," Pereira says. "In order to include 25 to 30 grams of fibre per day, your diet has to be primarily high quality carbohydrates."

The benefits from grain come from whole grains - not from highly processed grains, such as those found in white bread or white rice, he adds.

For more information about healthy living visit HealthyOntario.

TORONTO (March 2004) - Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman, with the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA), has announced Canada's first province-wide Patient Safety Support Service.

The OHA Patient Safety Support Service will provide Ontario's hospitals with tools and information to strengthen patient safety. The service will provide hospitals with onsite assistance to improve patient safety practices, and education and training for front-line staff, and support research and information-sharing among hospitals including an interactive web site and newsletter. The OHA will also develop a specialized public website to inform consumers about important safety issues.

"The OHA is very pleased to be a part of this initiative," said Hilary Short, OHA President and CEO. "This announcement builds on our efforts to improve patient safety and create an environment of openness in reporting, as well as continuing education and improvement when it comes to making Ontario hospitals even more accountable to the public."

"Our government and Ontario hospitals are working together to build a health care system that's accountable for outcomes and committed to quality patient care," said Smitherman. "Co-operative efforts like the Patient Safety Support Service will lead to better care for the people of Ontario."

The OHA Patient Safety Support Service includes:

• On-site assistance to identify systems and procedures which might impede the delivery of safe care, and to recommend changes to improve patient safety;
• Education and training sessions for front-line hospital staff; and
• Tools and information to promote patient safety, such as websites and self-assessment tools on topics including how to investigate adverse events and effective patient safety practices.

The service will also develop a special public website to give consumers advice about how to protect their safety.

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is providing $1.4 million to support this two-year initiative.

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