| Clinton's recent quadruple bypass surgery has been | | | | gender. Older males with a family history of heart |
| largely debated. Being on the South Beach Diet made | | | | disease are more likely to suffer from it, and Bill |
| everybody wonder how the former president's illness | | | | Clinton fit the profile. |
| advanced so much as to need to be surgically | | | | Stressful life contributed to a great extent to his |
| corrected. Some even blame it on the diet. Some | | | | illness, although he is known to exercise regularly. |
| wonder why the diet didn't help avoiding surgery. | | | | Among other benefits, exercise helps relieving of |
| Fact is that, first of all, being on the South Beach | | | | stress. But the former president overlooked other |
| Diet for a relatively short time or being on any other | | | | important aspects. His fondness for smoking and |
| diet couldn't work miracles and suddenly reverse | | | | unhealthy foods worsened the situation. Since he |
| atherosclerosis. It is true that recent clinical trials have | | | | started the South Beach diet he lost weight. Probably |
| indicated that with a reduced cholesterol level, | | | | if dieting had been one of his priorities earlier in his |
| reduced weight and regular exercise heart disease | | | | life, his health would have improved substantially. |
| may regress but a longer period of time is required | | | | Unfortunately, it seems that his doctors were not |
| to restore what was built in decades. Studies show | | | | that persuasive! The result was that surgery was |
| that coronary artery disease starts as early as | | | | needed to prevent a heart attack. |
| childhood progressing throughout adolescence and | | | | Following the South Beach Diet (in a low-sodium |
| childhood. | | | | version) on a long term basis, accompanied by an |
| Then, there were other factors sure to worsen | | | | exercise routine and quitting smoking would be likely |
| Clinton's condition. In heart disease there are several | | | | to help the former president to improve his health |
| risk factors that cannot be changed: age, heredity, | | | | after his release from the hospital. |