What I'd really love to know is how the diets effected Triglycerides. I'd bet anything, the Ornish folks had their TGs go through the roof, while the Atkins folks saw theirs fall to double digits [as mine did.] The WW folks probably also saw a rise in their TGs...though, probably not as bad as the Ornish folks. The establishment likes to ignore Triglycerides, because they generally increase when someone eats Sugars, Grain, Alcohol, or Trans-Fat...The first two of which are supposed to be the main components of our diet according to the establishment (AHA/USDA.) OTOH, some fats (w3 and possibly Monounsaturates) lower Triglycerides.

Triglycerides are one of the lipids that get carried through the blood and deposited. Very Good Triglycerides means there's less fat being carried through the arteries, which means a substantially lower risk of Heart Disease. How much you can transport through the arteries (LDL) is far less relevant than how much you are transporting (Triglycerides.) VLDL is the precursor for LDL. So, a low VLDL means less new LDL...which also indicates a reduced risk of heart disease.