I recently started reading Dr. Atkins' Age-Defying Diet Revolution, and just the first chapter has got my brain a-churning. (uhoh!)

In 1928 the average life expectancy was 57.1, in 1998 it was 76.7.

In most low carb circles and increasingly with others - it is becoming widely accepted that a decrease in dietary fat seems to be in direct correlation to an increase in heart disease. Before the 1920's, heart disease/attacks were reported very infrequently. Is it possible that in 1920's the diagnosis of heart disease was much more of guesswork than it is now?

What I don't fully comprehend, is that if in the last 30-40 years of low-fat has dramatically increased heart disease, but at the same time our life expectancy has gone up.

Could it be because our medical advances in all areas are so much that health treatments in general are the main contributing factor in our increase in life expectancy? And is the life expectancy of 76.7 based upon a low-fat eating regime?