Expression data of Participants of Ornish intervention and Control group. Homo sapiens

Intensive lifestyle modification is believed to mediate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk through traditional pathways that affect endothelial function and progression of atherosclerosis; however, the extent, persistence, and clinical significance of molecular change during lifestyle modification are not well known. Our study reveals that gene expression signatures are significantly modulated by rigorous lifestyle behaviors and track with CVD risk profiles over time. Overall design: We examined the impact of a rigorous CVD risk reduction program on peripheral blood gene expression profiles in 63 participants and 63 matched controls to characterize molecular response to lifestyle modification and identify regulatory pathways important to cardiovascular health.