Tough willpower, easy love: Adapt a healthy lifestyle and the heart forgives indiscretions

The 30s and 40s are the ages at which it's time to lose that "eat right, exercise, die anyway" mentality, put down the cigarette, and get moving: Recent research says even the natural progression of coronary artery disease can be reversed, regardless of lifestyle sins of the past. "It's not too late," said Bonnie Spring, lead investigator of the study and a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Researchers from Northwestern Medicine assessed the lifestyle and coronary artery calcification levels of the former CARDIA participants, now between the ages of 38 and 50. Healthy lifestyle was considered as not being obese or overweight, exercising regularly, not smoking and sticking to a healthy diet with a low alcohol intake.