By Jimmy Downs

Thursday May 2, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Scientists of Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center found progressive coronary artery calcium buildup boosts the risk of heart attack and death.

Matthew Budoff, M.D. and colleagues, authors of the study, reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that of men and women aged 45 to 85, 50% suffered coronary artery calcium buildup and during a 2.5-year follow-up, 85% of the patients continued to build coronary artery buildup.

The authors also found patients with an increasing buildup of coronary artery calcium were more than six times more likely to experience a heart attack or die from heart disease than those who didn't have a calcium build-up.

The study was based on data from 6,778 men and women aged 45 to 84 years and enrolled in Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis study, who were free of coronary heart disease at baseline.  

Coronary heart disease or otherwise known as coronary artery disease may lead to heart attacks, heart failure, and arrhythmia.  Each year in the United States, 600,000 men and women die of heart disease and coronary heart disease brings to hospitals and drug companies about $109 billion annually, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States.  Good news is, the disease is very easy to avoid.  A vegan diet can help completely stop the progression of coronary heart disease or reverse the disease in 99% of cases. The bad news is, not everyone who knows the trick does not want to follow such a diet.