Inflammation And The Heart

1 min

There is strong evidence that chronic inflammation is a significant cause of not just heart disease but also many cancers and Alzheimer’s disease. I developed my anti-inflammatory diet as a guide to making better food choices to reduce such risk, since I have long been aware of the evidence associating inflammation with these preventable conditions. Now the American College of Cardiology (ACC) has published a definitive statement on the role of inflammation in cardiovascular disease (CVD). The evidence, the report says, is “compelling and clinically actionable. The time for taking action has now arrived.”

I believe the time for taking action arrived some time ago, but I won’t quibble with their conclusion. I appreciate the ACC’s insistence to rely on solid evidence and data in making its statement. The report looked at inflammation’s effect on atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, heart failure (HF), and pericarditis. It concluded that having elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), which is a reliable measure of inflammation, is as strong a predictor of a cardiac event as elevated blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Inflammation predicts both first-time events in at-risk individuals and repeat cardiovascular events in those who have already had one or more such episodes, even if those patients take statins. Remarkably, even in healthy people with normal LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels, inflammation is a predictor of a first-time cardiac event. Depending on an individual’s unique history and circumstances, a physician who finds elevated hsCRP levels may recommend statins to prevent cardiovascular disease even without a finding of high cholesterol. Statins are not appropriate for everyone, and some people cannot tolerate them, so discuss your individual needs with your health care provider.

Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet, however, is a prudent idea for anyone seeking a healthy, evidence-based nutritional plan. You can read more about my anti-inflammatory food pyramid, and I also encourage you to visit the Weil Nutrition Corner on Substack, where my daughter Diana Weil, an integrative nutritionist, joins me in sharing nutrition advice, trending food tips, and seasonal anti-inflammatory recipes.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Source
Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease: 2025 ACC Scientific Statement: A Report of the American College of Cardiology
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih/41020749/