CONTROLLED TRIAL OF A DIET HIGH IN UNSATURATED FAT FOR PREVENTION OF ATHEROSCLEROTIC COMPLICATIONS

In a clinical trial of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in unsaturated fat of vegetable origin, carried out on 846 middle-aged and elderly men living in an institution, the subjects were allocated randomly to the experimental diet or to a control diet, and were followed double-blind. The combined incidence of myocardial infarction, sudden death, and cerebral infarction was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. The incidence of fatal atherosclerotic events was also lower in the experimental group than in the control group, but total mortality-rates were similar for the two groups.