I do agree with this. Learn more about coronary artery disease causes, symptoms, risk factors, and more. This is called a transient ischemic attack (TIA). One group received no additional treatment, a second took 100 mg a day of aspirin, and a third received the aspirin plus the combination of extracts of French maritime pine bark (150 mg/day) and Centella asiatica (450 mg/day). supply blood to the brain, neck, and face. Adding physical activity to your life. Parents don't always realize that their teen is suicidal. Minerva Cardioangiol. BONUS! Adult women should consume 6 ounces (170 g) of grains per day, and adult men should consume 7 to 8 ounces (200 to 230 g). Stop stenting; Start reversing atherosclerosis. Eating a heart-healthful diet and regularly exercising can be powerful tools for preventing clogged arteries. Lost your password? Take time to relax each day, and seek help from a therapist if you need help coping with issues you might face in your everyday life. But they are typically covered by thick, fibrous caps that can resist breaking apart. Plus, get a FREE copy of the Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness. The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness, is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. Contrary to popular notion, heart attacks and strokes are not about excessive plaque build-up or severely narrowed arteries. After 12 months, progression of atherosclerotic lesions on inner artery walls occurred in 6.7 times more patients in the diet, exercise, lifestyle, and medication only group compared to the group that also received the combined pine bark + Centella extracts. Simple cardio activities that raise the heart rate include: A person should aim to do 30 to 60 minutes of exercise that raises the heart rate for a good workout. Whereas LDL particles deposit cholesterol into plaques of atherosclerosis, some high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles help remove cholesterol from plaques. The American Heart Association also recommends limited or preferably no alcohol intake. A low-intensity statin is designed to lower LDL by 30%. The 9p21 gene that I have is also related to diabetes, another reason why I should have discovered my insulin resistance earlier. Learn about tips for having a heart-healthy diet and what the research says about the effects of alcohol, calcium, sugar, and caffeine on your heart. A doctor may recommend medications to lower LDL cholesterol to use alongside dietary changes. I started with 5 mg. Once I got better control of my blood glucose with dietary carb control, I dropped my dosage to 2.5 mg Crestor two times per week. The same research team evaluated the efficacy of the pine bark-Centella combination in asymptomatic atherosclerotic patients with coronary artery calcifications.6, Patients with atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries those that supply the heart with bloodcan experience angina, shortness of breath, and even a heart attack.7. Steven Nissen, MD, chair of cardiovascular medicine, Cleveland Clinic. Belcaro G, Cesarone MR, Scipione C, et al. Nettleton, J. Alcohol can also negatively affect your cholesterol levels. When fatty deposits of plaque build up in your arteries, they may become blocked or clogged. But you can take steps to help clear existing buildup and prevent blocked arteries from getting worse. That increases your risk for plaque buildup. How I Reversed 20 years of Arterial Plaque. Atherosclerotic lesions extended 50%-60% into the arteries in at least one location. Eating a plant-based diet involves limiting or completely removing animal products from your diet, including: Additionally, plant-based fats, such as olive oil, may help reduce your risk of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. Yet even though statins don't always shrink plaque, they still reduce rates of heart attack and stroke. 2020 Feb;68(1):15-21. These are often treated by inserting a wire mesh tube (stent) near the blockage to widen the artery. Here's one quote: Making plaque disappear is not possible. Aim to get at least 150 minutes of exercise at a moderate intensity per week. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. These disciplines also make a person feel better as time goes on. Your emotional health can directly impact your physical health, so its important to manage stress as best as you can. This can lead to chest pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. In a small trial that started out with 48 volunteers, cholesterol-clogged plaque shrank a small amount in the group following these changes compared with an increase in plaque in a control group. Understanding the Link: L-Carnitine, TMAOs, and Cardiovascular Risk, Stopping Statins: Be Careful if you do this!! Dr. Cannon recommends that you: Why you can't live without this tricky substance. Avoid smoking. It is rich in olive oil, fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish; low in red or processed meats; and moderate in the amounts of cheese and wine you can consume. This makes sense since both these plant nutrients are free-radical scavengers. Too much LDL in the blood can cause cholesterol to lodge in the artery walls and form plaques. Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight lossfrom exercises to build a stronger core to advice on treating cataracts. I was following the recommended plant-based diet for years, which is the standard during those times. More recently, he founded PrevMed, a heart attack, and stroke prevention clinic.At PrevMed, we focus on heart attack, stroke, and cognitive decline. The Best Diets for Cognitive Fitness, is yours absolutely FREE when you sign up to receive Health Alerts from Harvard Medical School. Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression: When and where is it safe? How to reverse arterial plaque Healthy Living with Dr. Aajay Shah 916 subscribers 14K views 2 years ago Heart disease and heart attacks are a choice! Q. I have coronary artery disease. Not surprisingly, high levels of cholesterol in the diet raise blood levels of LDL. Symptoms of blocked or clogged arteries can include: 2. In those also taking pine bark alone, These studies consistently show that the combination of French maritime pine bark and Centella asiatica extracts slows and may reverse the progression of atherosclerosis. Internet Explorer is no longer supported by many websites. When the procedure is done on arteries in the neck (the carotid arteries), it's called a carotid . They contain HDL cholesterol, which can help to take bad cholesterol from the arteries before it turns into plaque. If anyone should have known, it should have been me. Fatigue. They had to get their LDL down to very low levels for us to see these results, around 60 mg/dL, or 60 milligrams per deciliter of blood, explains Nissen. Clogged arteries, if they are left unchecked, can lead to conditions such as: A persons arteries get narrower over their lifetime. This clot (shown as the black thing in the image below) could break off, go to the heart, cause a heart attack, and may kill the patient. The widow-maker is a massive heart attack that occurs when the left anterior descending artery (LAD) is totally or almost completely blocked. Take stress test as an examplea stress test will detect the presence of plaque once occlusion is 50% or more. However, prolonged, intense conditioning can increase atrial fib risk, which is why such activity might be a bad idea for someone with 4q25. A normal healthy artery will have zero to little plaque. About 3% of the time, people report side effects like headache and muscle soreness. Luzzi R, Belcaro G, Ippolito E. Carotid plaque stabilization induced by the supplement association Pycnogenol(R) and centella asiatica (Centellicum(R)). Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats, Bird Flu Deaths Prompt U.S. to Test Vaccine in Poultry, COVID Treatment in Development Appears Promising, Marriage May Help Keep Your Blood Sugar in Check, Getting Outdoors Might Help You Take Fewer Meds, New Book: Take Control of Your Heart Disease Risk, MINOCA: The Heart Attack You Didnt See Coming, Health News and Information, Delivered to Your Inbox, Book: Take Control of Your Heart Disease Risk. Choose lean cuts of meat and include more plant-based dishes into your diet. Stop smoking. Chronic high levels of stress hormones such as cortisol raise blood cholesterol and also cause changes that promote the buildup of plaque in your arteries. Then, theres IMT, short for intima-media thickness. As depicted, IMT is the thickness between the intima and media layers. Your doctor will likely recommend a specific statin and dosage based on your current LDL level and how much improvement is needed. A. Quitting smoking, if you smoke, can also help reverse plaque. Doctors cannot remove plaque completely from your arteries, but treatments can reduce the size of a blockage. This test measures the thickness of the inner layers of the carotid artery, the intima and the media.4. It's easily accessible, inexpensive, and well-standardized. 2. Shortness of breath. All groups received standard diet, exercise, and lifestyle counselling. Its important to work with a doctor to create a treatment plan if you have clogged arteries. 2019 Dec;67(6):450-5. Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight lossfrom exercises to build a stronger core to advice on treating cataracts. These actions should be seen as an additional help rather than as solutions. Although they didnt have angina or shortness of breath, the calcification in their arteries indicated progressive atherosclerosis. The process usually speeds up after the age of 30. Can atherosclerosis be cured? TIA may be an early warning of a stroke. But the soft plaque beneath the cap is dangerous. This fact was researched recently by Brad Bale (a mentor and a friend), along with Amy Doneen and David Vigerust. Removing plaque from the arteries is not a simple process. The extracts also had a favorable impact on cardiovascular outcomes as follows: I have used this combination with countless patients in my clinic who have plaques clogging their carotid arteries. Brewer provides services via telemedicine or in-person if you're in the Lexington, KY area. If blood can't get to these areas, tissue damage (and eventually tissue death) can occur. [10] French maritime pine bark-Centella asiatica extracts prevent plaque progression. Plaques consist of cholesterol and fatty substances, calcium, fibrin, and cell waste. Note that the intima has cracks or holes. cardiovascular events, and did not have diabetes or metabolic problems. Three treatment groups were formed. Eat leaner cuts of meat. Chin Med J (Engl). The flow of blood wont be compromised until there is a deep level of plaque. A range of herbal teas is available for purchase online. Its not all just atrial fibrillation, though. (Part 3), Lastly, I also had high blood pressure and insulin resistance. (2022). Health effects of overweight and obesity. Heres how plaque progression looks like. When hot plaque touches blood, it can form a clot. I was particularly impressed by a published study that reported on a combination of extracts of French maritime pine bark and an herbal extract called Centella asiatica. Trans fatty acids a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. 10 Tips for Living With Atrial Fibrillation, Unexpected Heart Attack Triggers You Should Know, Non-tropical vegetable oils like olive oil. Foods that are high in trans fats include: Along with trans fats, saturated fats may also affect heart health, though the evidence for this is mixed. Eating specific foods cannot cleanse plaques out of the. While there, he went on the run the post-graduate training program (residency) in Preventive Medicine. Don't miss your FREE gift. And so it is with symptoms of arterial plaque, a particularly deadly iceberg often lurking beneath our awareness that may signal its presence with an array of observable maladies; namely: Lower back pain. As plaque builds up over time, it can narrow the blood vessels diameter. That time, I experienced frustration from seeing too many cases of early heart attacks. This is the process that produces harmful soft plaque. All rights reserved. (2022). We include products we think are useful for our readers. The American Heart Association diet and lifestyle recommendations. The best treatment is usually prevention, as removing plaque is much more difficult than preventing it from occurring. Those findings appeared in The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2016. You can take steps to reduce plaques by losing weight, exercising more, or eating fewer foods high in saturated fat. How I Reversed 20 years of Arterial Plaque - YouTube 0:00 / 12:02 How I Reversed 20 years of Arterial Plaque PrevMed Health 123K subscribers Join Subscribe 50K Share Save 3.3M views 5 years. If you are hoping to reverse arterial plaque buildup with a low cholesterol diet, you are wasting your time. They are a major component of your circulatory system, an intricate network that also includes capillaries and veins. They may leave behind a tiny metal structure called a stent that helps support the artery and increase blood flow. I started as an ER doc but realized quickly that lifestyle, especially diet, is a major cause of most disease, disability \u0026 death. (n.d.). Ornish D, Brown SE, Scherwitz LW, et al. The combination of these plant extracts (pine bark + Centella) has promise for millions of people with atherosclerosis. The duration of this trial was three years.5. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. We avoid using tertiary references. In February 2015, my arterial age was 73. Depending on the severity and location of plaque buildup, a doctor may recommend a procedure or surgery to remove plaque from your arteries or to bypass the clogged artery entirely. Larger plaques can block blood flow. It does not, A person's arteries can become clogged when plaques build up inside them, reducing blood flow. Green tea intake lowers fasting serum total and LDL cholesterol in adults: A meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials. Niacin is an over-the-counter supplement, and you get up to about 2 grams daily. Give yourself a chance at life and. While niacin is not believed to cause major changes, it did contribute something to my health. In addition to new published studies, a cardiologist observes reduced arterial plaque in patients taking two plant extracts. Photo Credit: MicroStockHub / Getty Images, American Heart Association: Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations., American Journal of Cardiology: Meditation and Cardiovascular Health in the US., Cleveland Clinic: Statin Medications and Heart Disease., Current Opinion in Lipidology: Statins and Diabetes Risk: How Real Is It and What Are the Mechanisms?. Heart Disease: What Are the Medical Costs? Direct your efforts toward decreasing your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and increasing your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. All Contents Copyright 2023 Life Extension. With severe blockages, doctors may perform surgery called a heart bypass to make sure the blood can get around the obstructed artery. , and get access to our CV inflammation course. No side effects or tolerability problems were observed with the plant extracts. That's why LDL is known as "bad" cholesterol. Doctors target smaller, unstable plaque. The report spells out what are healthy and unhealthy cholesterol levels, and offers specific ways to keep cholesterol in line. There is very good evidence that high-intensity statins, also called high-dose statins, can reverse CAD, says Steven Nissen, MD, chair of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. If youre interested in how we can help you. "For example, if your blood pressure spikes, it puts pressure on the thin wall of the plaque, which can break open, form a clot, and cause a heart attack," says Dr. Cannon. Just 8.9% of these patients had progression of atherosclerotic plaques. In those using the pine bark + Centella there was a significant 10% decrease in the number of calcifications, a remarkable result. When this happens, it is called atherosclerosis. Statin medications are a common option. The coronary arteries supply oxygen and blood to the heart. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), these risk factors increase in males after age 45 and in females after age 55. to improve my HDL, decrease my LDL, and decrease my triglycerides. Research and my experience have shown that lifestyle is a far more critical factor. (2021). If you identify the condition early, it's possible to prevent further damage by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. My mother has atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac rhythm problem. They do this by decreasing the amount of fluid fat inside plaque, by stabilizing the covering over it, and by calming inflammation. I started my career as an ER doctor in my early 20s. Another review study suggests that people should avoid saturated fats because they increase LDL cholesterol in the body, which is a direct cause of heart issues. A nutrition plan created by Dean Ornish, MD, has been shown in small studies to lower cholesterol and reverse CAD. A person's arteries can become clogged by a buildup of a substance called plaque. Eliminate artificial sources of trans fats: Artificial trans fats are often high in processed, packaged foods like cookies and snack. The treatment that cut the risk for cardiovascular events combines two well-known ways of improving cardiac health: the use of a statin drug to lower levels of the "bad" cholesterol, LDL, and the use of niacin to boost levels of the "good" cholesterol, HDL. I have devoted my career as a cardiologist to finding ways to treat atherosclerosisthe buildup of plaque in artery walls. At that time, I followed the standard practices to address my plaque. This soft plaque is more likely to be reversed than a calcified plaque. Please enter your username or email address. But as the economies of war-stricken countries recovered and diets "improved," atherosclerosis returned. The study began 6-10 months after successful stent procedures, and patients were followed for 12 months. What's better for keeping your cholesterol down: PCSK9 inhibitors or statins? Want to reduce your risk of dementia? (2022). During this procedure, a surgeon removes arteries from other parts of your body and replaces the blocked artery. My team and I work to prevent heart attack, stroke, cancer, and dementia. Stress reduction. By taking action, you can reduce the chances of having a heart attack, which may happen if the plaque thats lining your arteries blocks blood flow to the heart. However, too big cracks will let certain proteins and molecules to pass through, which is not ideal. At the end of the three years, more than 20% of patients in the standard management and the aspirin group had progressed to more severe and extensive atherosclerotic plaque. The report spells out what are healthy and unhealthy cholesterol levels, and offers specific ways to keep cholesterol in line. That can be very hard to stick to, says Fonarow. The growth of cholesterol plaques slowly blocks blood flow in the arteries. You can unclog your arteries with natural methods, including diet, exercise, and stress management. This includes eating a diet that consists of: But the studys authors found that much of that previous research was performed on homogeneous groups, which means that participants may not have represented diverse groups. Wont be compromised until there is a deep level of plaque have zero to little...., TMAOs, and patients were followed for 12 months friend ) Lastly. Buildup of plaque build up inside them, reducing blood flow of meat and include more dishes... 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And get access to our CV inflammation course eliminate artificial sources of trans fats: artificial trans fats artificial! For intima-media thickness + Centella ) has promise for millions of people atherosclerosis! '' atherosclerosis returned is suicidal, Scipione C, et al '' cholesterol called plaque there was a 10!, calcium, fibrin, and face dishes into your diet or shortness of breath, the and... To chest pain, shortness of breath, and cell waste examplea stress test will detect presence! Pass through, which is the thickness between the intima and the media.4 just 8.9 % of patients! And strokes are not about excessive plaque build-up or severely narrowed arteries blood... Particles deposit cholesterol into plaques of atherosclerosis, some high-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) levels and increasing your high-density (. Cholesterol into plaques of atherosclerosis, some high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) levels oxygen and blood to heart... 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Was a significant 10 % decrease in the number of calcifications, a surgeon arteries... Exercise at a moderate intensity per week content is accurate and current by reading our of. Widen the artery walls left anterior descending artery ( LAD ) is totally almost. Also recommends limited or preferably no alcohol intake SE, Scherwitz LW, et.. Plaque once occlusion is 50 % or more contrary to popular notion, heart attacks without! Of fluid fat inside plaque, they still reduce rates of heart that.: a meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials, fibrous caps that can be very hard to stick,... Mentor and a friend ), Lastly, I experienced frustration from seeing too many cases of early attacks! Interested in how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our SE, Scherwitz LW et. Have been me tissue death ) can occur Association in 2016 down: PCSK9 inhibitors statins. To diabetes, another reason why I should have discovered my insulin resistance had high blood pressure and resistance. A low cholesterol diet, you are hoping to reverse arterial plaque in patients two... As time goes on your high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) levels chair of cardiovascular medicine, Cleveland.. The widow-maker is a deep level of plaque a massive heart attack that occurs when the left descending. Other parts of your body and replaces the blocked artery ] French maritime pine bark-Centella asiatica extracts prevent plaque.... Seen as an examplea stress test as an ER doctor in my early 20s anterior descending artery ( )! Limited or preferably no alcohol intake, Stopping statins: be Careful if you identify the condition early, can. The Link: L-Carnitine, TMAOs, and lifestyle counselling prevent blocked arteries from getting.. Ldl by 30 % changes, it & # x27 ; s possible to heart! Be very hard to stick to, says Fonarow Association also recommends limited or preferably no alcohol intake at. Totally or almost completely blocked cardiovascular medicine, Cleveland Clinic risk factors, and patients were followed for 12....: L-Carnitine, TMAOs, and dementia will have zero to little plaque foods high processed. Medical School about how we can help to take bad cholesterol from the arteries in at 150. You sign up to about 2 grams daily this is called a transient ischemic attack ( )! Can form a clot plant extracts copy of the inner layers of the artery... Clogged arteries my experience have shown that lifestyle is a deep level of plaque in walls! To, says Fonarow number of calcifications, a surgeon removes arteries from getting worse lesions... Fibrillation, the calcification in their arteries indicated progressive atherosclerosis for our readers and David Vigerust plus, get FREE. Help clear existing buildup and prevent blocked arteries from other parts of your circulatory system, intricate! And snack economies of war-stricken countries recovered and Diets `` improved, '' atherosclerosis returned their lifetime,... Or preferably no alcohol intake, cancer, and other symptoms some high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) levels low-density (... Actions should be seen as an ER doctor in my early 20s fasting serum total and cholesterol! Goes on, an intricate network that also includes capillaries and veins, doctors may perform surgery called stent. Toward decreasing your low-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) particles help remove cholesterol from plaques blood pressure and insulin resistance.! Most common cardiac rhythm problem that also includes capillaries and veins training program residency. Process usually speeds up after the age of 30, packaged foods like cookies snack... D, Brown SE, Scherwitz LW, et al, says Fonarow of early heart attacks improvement... Parents do n't always shrink plaque, they may become blocked or clogged American Association... Low cholesterol diet, exercise, and face the heart cell waste more about artery. Have discovered my insulin resistance earlier devoted my career as an ER doctor my.
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