Tom Petty's Cardiac Arrest a Reminder to Check Heart Health

The rock star Tom Petty—whose more than 40-year career with his band The Heartbreakers included hits like The Waiting and Into the Great Wide Open—died from cardiac arrest yesterday at the age of 66. I hope that his cardiac arrest will serve as a reminder of the need for action against heart disease—the No. 1 killer in America—and that his millions of Heartbreakers fans will indeed take the message to heart.

Research shows that the most effective steps for fighting heart disease include managing blood pressure, controlling cholesterol, eating better, and losing weight. These steps can all be achieved through a healthy plant-based diet. Meat, dairy products, eggs, and fatty snack foods harbor the saturated fats and trans fats that push cholesterol into the blood stream. Avoiding animal products and other fatty foods allows arteries to clean themselves out.