The Ornish diet, a plant-based option developed to help prevent heart disease, also made the final ranking. 

Any devices that claim to make blood glucose measurements without piercing the user's skin are associated with a heightened risk of error, the agency said. 

Michael Garshick, MD, examines the role of inflammation in coronary disease development, detailing how this risk factor can be detected and treated.

The study, designed to compare flexitarians with vegans and omnivores, focused on young and middle-aged adults in good health who had been following the same diet for at least one full year.

Many patients do not want to limit their salt intake, even when a doctor tells them the numerous health benefits. Salt substitutes may represent another way forward. 

The group's annual meeting heads to Atlanta this April. TAVR, GLP-1 agonists, medical imaging guidance and blood pressure control are just some of the topics that will be presented during late-breaking sessions.

The study’s authors emphasized that a person can still occasionally eat meat, fish or dairy products and still see substantial benefits—the key is to keep such foods to a minimum.

"It’s clear to me that urgent intervention is long overdue," one cardiologist said in a statement.