Peer-reviewed research, in plain English

What the heart research actually says.

For decades we were told to fear fat, chase low cholesterol and take a statin. A growing body of published research tells a more complicated story. We summarize it, with the citations and the caveats, so you can ask your doctor better questions.

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Latest articles

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Diet5 min read

Fewer Heart Attack Deaths, More Sick Years: The Low-Fat Era's Real Scorecard

Since Americans were told to cut fat, heart attack deaths fell. But heart failure, obesity and diabetes climbed, and Americans now spend more years in poor health than people in any other country.

Diet2 min read

Does a low-fat diet really protect your heart? A new look at an old study.

For decades, we’ve been told that cutting fat from our diets is the key to a healthy heart. But a study published in Open Heart (a cardiology journal) digs into a massive trial…

Science3 min read

Statins and the Risk Game—Are They Really Saving Your Heart?

Hey America, let’s chat about statins—those cholesterol-lowering pills your doctor might’ve pushed on you. You’ve probably heard they’re a miracle for your heart, slashing your…

The evidence library

28 studies →
6

Saturated fat and diet

Large reviews and recovered trial data that question the decades-old advice to cut saturated fat.

 5

Cholesterol in older adults

Studies finding that higher cholesterol goes with lower all-cause mortality in people over 60, and why that needs careful reading.

 3

Statins in perspective

How statin benefits are reported, and why absolute risk matters more than relative risk for most people.

 2

How the science was shaped

Flawed early studies, unpublished trials and industry influence on nutrition advice.

 6

The low-fat era by the numbers

What happened to Americans' diets and heart health after the low-fat advice of 1977 and 1980.

 1

Sugar

Evidence on sugar's role in heart disease and diabetes.

 5

The strongest counter-evidence

The best studies on the other side. We list them because you should see both sides and judge for yourself.

Work with your doctor

Use what you read here to start a conversation, not to make changes on your own. Ask your doctor what your absolute risk is, how much a treatment would lower it, and what the alternatives are.