AHA dietary guidelines: revision 2000: a statement for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association

This document presents guidelines for reducing the risk ofcardiovascular disease by dietary and other lifestyle practices. Since the previous publication of these guidelines by the American Heart Association,1 the overall approach has been modified to emphasize their relation to specific goals that the AHA considers of greatest importance for lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke. The revised guidelines place increased emphasis on foods and an overall eating pattern and the need for all Americans to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight (Table). The major guidelines are designed for the general popula-tion and collectively replace the “Step 1 ” designation used for earlier AHA population-wide dietary recommendations. More individualized approaches involving medical nutrition therapy for specific subgroups (for example, those with lipid disorders, diabetes, and preexisting cardiovascular disease