Dr. Joel Fuhrman wrote the book Eat to Live and he footnotes tons of studies that support his belief that a vegan diet is a healthier diet. He leaves room to say that possibly consuming some animal products does not make a significant difference, but he does not claim to know where to draw the line. I have seen experts on various shows say that studies support this idea also. Experts not trying to sell anything, which I always find suspect. I vaguely remember Fuhrman talking about not only heart disease, but cancer also, I could be wrong about that. He definitely touches on heart disease and related risk factors for heart disease like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and overall weight. He also talks soecifically about vitamins, minerals, and protein.
Dr. Ornish also believes in a vegan diet, although he allows for some cheating, and demonstrated that heart disease can even be reversed sometimes with strictly adhering to his diet and plan. He also believes in meditation and has a whole philosophy regarding heart health.
I know my sister is vegan and she is one of the only people in my family to have great cholesterol numbers. Hers were high like the rest of us when she was young and not vegan yet. But, that is just one person.