The Impact of a Sixty Day Nurse-Led Lifestyle Modification Program Emphasizing a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet on the Cardiovascular Risk Factors of Adult Volunteers

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States for middle-aged (45-64 years) men and women. Fortunately, CVD is largely preventable by modifying risk factors through lifestyle change. One such lifestyle change is the adoption of a whole foods plant-based (WFPB) diet. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a nurse-led, sixty day dietary program emphasizing a low fat, WFPB diet on the cardiovascular risk factors of adult participants in the Hampton Roads area of VA. A quasi-experimental pre/post-test, single group design, was used to examine the effect of a weekly nurse-led lifestyle intervention program emphasizing a whole food, plant-based diet on the CVD risk factors of adult participants. Participants significantly reduced body weight, total cholesterol, LDL-C cholesterol, LDL-P count, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures (p<0.01). There was a significant (p<0.01) increase in fasting blood glucose before and after the 60 day intervention period and a non-significant (p = 0.126) increase in triglycerides. As for HbA1C, there was no significant change before and after the intervention. In conclusion, well-designed, nurse-led WFPB intervention programs can improve lifestyle choices and health habits. They can also markedly and rather quickly reduce the level of cardiovascular risk factors in a non-randomized population.