After adjusting for age, smoking, exercise, alcohol consumption, education and socio-economic status the researchers found that the statistical risk reduction for vegetarians is 32% less than for non-vegetarians.percent less likely to be included in the problem figures.

     According to the scientists, compared to the non-vegetarians, vegetarians had lower cholesterol levels and blood pressures, which is believed to be the primary reason they experienced a lower risk of heart disease.
As a consequence of the vegetarians’ diets, they generally had lower BMI (body mass indices) and fewer cases of diabetes. Prior research also demonstrated that eating a vegetarian diet and exercising three or more times a week can significantly lower the risk of diabetes. However, BMI and diabetes were not found to notably influence the results.
When the results were adjusted to leave out the impact of BMI, vegetarians had a 28% reduced chance of developing heart disease.
The authors concluded:  The findings reinforce the idea that diet is central to prevention of heart disease, and build on previous work looking at the influence of vegetarian diets.”