About all

Preventing hardening of the arteries: Hardening of the arteries Information | Mount Sinai

by alexxlab

What You Can Do to Prevent Atherosclerosis

Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and eating well can help prevent plaque buildup in your arteries.

By Quinn PhillipsMedically Reviewed by Chung Yoon, MD

Reviewed:

Medically Reviewed

A healthy diet and regular exercise can help you prevent atherosclerosis.Depositphotos

Atherosclerosis — the buildup of plaque in your arteries, causing them to harden and narrow — develops slowly over a number of years.

Your chances of developing atherosclerosis are based on several different risk factors. Some of these can’t be changed, like your age and your personal and family medical history.

But other factors that influence the onset of atherosclerosis are either partially or fully under your control. Chief among these are your eating habits, how much exercise you get, and whether you smoke. (1)

Certain risk factors for atherosclerosis are measured values that can’t be changed on their own — things like your body weight, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol and glucose levels. But there are still steps you can take to reduce these risks, from leading an active and healthy lifestyle to taking medications as prescribed by your doctor.

It’s important to take whatever steps you can to reduce your risk of developing atherosclerosis since complications of the condition can include life-threatening medical emergencies like a stroke or heart attack. (2)

Kick Your Smoking Habit

If you smoke, quitting is the single most important step you can take to reduce your risk for atherosclerosis and other heart disease risk factors. (2)

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and illness in the United States, accounting for about 1 in 5 deaths each year. (3)

One major way that smoking takes its deadly toll is by harming your blood vessels. Cigarette smoke contains a number of toxic chemicals that enter your bloodstream. (4)

These chemicals raise your risk for atherosclerosis in a number of different ways, such as increasing inflammation in your arteries and making platelets in your blood coagulate (clot) more easily. (4)

If you smoke or use tobacco in another form, talk to your doctor about coming up with a strategy to effectively quit.

Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet

Your diet is an especially important factor in your risk for atherosclerosis, and heart disease generally.

A heart-healthy diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean meats and poultry, low-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes (dried beans and peas).

It also limits sodium, saturated and trans fats, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol. (1)

The following food groups and items form the basis of a heart-healthy diet:

Vegetables Good choices include fresh and frozen varieties of almost any vegetable, with special attention to getting a variety of colors and textures.

It’s important, though, to limit vegetables in creamy sauces, high-sodium canned vegetables, and those that are fried or breaded.

Fruits Fresh or frozen fruits, as well as those canned or preserved in juice or water, are good choices.

Avoid fruits canned in heavy sugar-based syrup, and frozen fruits with sugar added.

Grains Whole grains should form the basis of your grain intake. Good choices include:

  • Whole-grain bread and wraps
  • High-fiber cereals
  • Whole-grain pasta
  • Oatmeal
  • Brown rice
  • Barley
  • Quinoa
  • Bulgur wheat or farro

Avoid or limit the following items:

  • White bread
  • Muffins (most varieties)
  • Frozen waffles (most varieties)
  • Snack crackers (most varieties)
  • Cornbread
  • Doughnuts
  • Biscuits
  • Cakes
  • Cookies
  • Egg noodles
  • Buttered popcorn

Dairy Products Good choices include low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt. Avoid or limit full-fat milk and other dairy products in your diet.

Protein-Rich Foods Lean sources of protein are important to include in your diet — whether they come from animal or vegetarian sources.

Good sources of protein include:

  • Lean meats (such as 95 percent lean ground beef or pork)
  • Poultry without the skin
  • Fish, especially cold-water fatty fish (salmon, tuna, trout)
  • Eggs
  • Soy products (tofu, tempeh, soy burgers)
  • Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas)

Avoid or limit the following items:

  • Fatty or marbled meats
  • Spareribs
  • Chicken wings
  • Hot dogs and sausages
  • Lunchmeat
  • Bacon
  • Breaded or fried meat, fish, or poultry

Oils and Fats It’s important to include healthy fats in your diet, ideally in the least-refined form possible — such as choosing nuts and seeds over refined oils.

Still, certain oils are considered healthier choices, and it’s important to choose lightly salted or unsalted varieties of nuts and seeds.

Healthy sources of fat include:

  • Nuts and nut butters
  • Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame)
  • Avocados
  • Olive, canola, sesame, sunflower, corn, and soybean oils

Sources of fat to avoid include:

  • Butter
  • Lard
  • Bacon fat
  • Cream and cream-based sauces
  • Nondairy creamers
  • Vegetable shortening
  • Margarine made with hydrogenated oils
  • Palm, palm kernel, coconut, and cottonseed oils (1,5)

Get Enough Exercise

Along with your diet, exercise is a key component of a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Physical activity can help your muscles use oxygen more effectively, as well as improve your blood circulation by promoting new blood vessel growth. It can also lower high blood pressure — a key risk factor for atherosclerosis.

A good rule of thumb is to get 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise most days of the week. You can split this up into 10-minute segments if necessary. (2)

More specifically, guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicate that most adults should get 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise each week, or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise.

But more physical activity will yield even more health benefits, and exercising less than is recommended is still better than no exercise at all. In fact, getting just 1 hour of moderate aerobic exercise each week has been shown to have health benefits. (1)

Aerobic exercise is any physical activity that raises your heart and breathing rate. Good choices may include:

  • Walking
  • Running or jogging
  • Cycling (regular or stationary)
  • Swimming
  • Cross-country skiing
  • Aerobic dance
  • Elliptical machines
  • Stair-climbing machines (6)

Keep Track of Your Numbers

While you can’t control them directly, there are several body-related measurements that have been shown to correspond to your risk for atherosclerosis and heart disease.

It’s important to try to stay within recommended ranges of these measurements, both by following a heart-healthy lifestyle and by taking any treatments prescribed by your doctor to address them.

The following numbers are important to watch:

  • Your blood pressure
  • Your blood cholesterol levels
  • Your blood glucose levels (as shown in screening tests if you don’t have diabetes)
  • Your body weight
  • Your waist circumference (1,2)

By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

 

  1. What Is Atherosclerosis? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. March 24, 2022.
  2. Arteriosclerosis/Atherosclerosis. Mayo Clinic. July 1, 2022.
  3. Smoking and Your Heart. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. March 24, 2022.
  4. Siasos G, Tsigkou V, Kokkou E, et al. Smoking and Atherosclerosis: Mechanisms of Disease and New Therapeutic Approaches. Current Medicinal Chemistry. 2014.
  5. Heart-Healthy Diet: 8 Steps to Prevent Heart Disease. Mayo Clinic. April 28, 2022.
  6. Aerobic Exercise and Heart Health. Cleveland Clinic. April 25, 2019.

Additional Sources

  • Executive Summary: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition [PDF]. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2018. 

Show Less

5 Diets That Can Help Lower Cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol, your diet can help lower it in a big way. Consider these diets that are delicious and healthy to help lower your cholesterol…

By Erica Patino

Tips for Eating Right to Prevent Heart Disease

A diet composed of high fiber, lean meats, and fruits and vegetables can help you lose weight and maintain heart health. Find out more now about heart…

By Ashley Welch

12 Sneaky Reasons for High Cholesterol

If you’re following a heart-healthy diet and still have high cholesterol, there are many possible reasons. Find out how to effectively manage high cholesterol…

By Erica Patino

8 Ways to Prevent Afib in Hot Weather

Extreme summer heat can cause dehydration and put extra strain on the heart, potentially triggering atrial fibrillation. Here’s how to handle it.

By Chris Iliades, MD

Vitamin D Supplements May Cut Heart Attack Risk

A large study of people over 60 found that taking vitamin D supplements led to a slight reduction in heart attacks and other cardiac events.

By Don Rauf

FDA Approves Ancient Anti-Inflammatory Drug for Heart Disease

Colchicine, taken with or without statins, can lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in adults with atherosclerosis.

By Lisa Rapaport

What Is Angioplasty?

This minimally invasive procedure widens narrow or blocked arteries. It’s particularly helpful for people with atherosclerosis or coronary heart disease…

By Joseph Bennington-Castro

What Is Atherosclerosis? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

When your arteries narrow and stiffen, blood flow to different areas of your body can become restricted, causing atherosclerosis.

By Brian P. Dunleavy

Treating Atherosclerosis: Lifestyle, Medication, Surgery, and Alternative Options

Atherosclerosis can be treated with one or all of the following interventions: lifestyle modifications, prescription drugs, and surgical procedures. You…

By Brian P. Dunleavy

Atherosclerosis Symptoms and Diagnosis

Many people with atherosclerosis don’t know they have the condition until their arteries are so narrow or clogged that they can’t supply adequate blood. ..

By Brian P. Dunleavy

See All

Atherosclerosis: Prevention Through the Ages

No matter your age, try these steps to prevent hardening of the arteries.

Written by Matthew Hoffman, MD

  • Preventing Atherosclerosis: In Your 20s and 30s
  • Preventing Atherosclerosis: In Your 40s and 50s
  • Preventing Atherosclerosis: In Your 60s and Up
  • Preventing Atherosclerosis: Suitable for All Ages

Atherosclerosis starts early and progresses throughout life. You can’t see or feel it, but in most of us the process is already under way.

The plaques of atherosclerosis can grow to become blood vessel blockages. If a plaque ruptures, the sudden blood clot causes a heart attack or stroke.

Atherosclerosis is common, unpredictable, and potentially deadly. Is there any good news? Because atherosclerosis takes decades to progress, the process can be slowed down at any point, reducing the risk.

Regardless of your age, there are specific steps you can take to slow down atherosclerosis. Take a moment to consider what changes you can make today, to protect your arteries later.

Almost no one develops complications from atherosclerosis at this age. Still, studies show the process has begun by our 20s or even younger. In these studies, risk factors mattered: young people with obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or who smoked had more-advanced early atherosclerosis.

The American Heart Association recommends seeing your doctor beginning at age 20 to routinely assess your risk for heart disease.

Instead of treating atherosclerosis, the key here is developing good habits that will last a lifetime. Don’t force it; instead, try to imagine how better habits might fit into your life.

Exercise: Make it a hobby to find some physical activity you enjoy. The idea of sticking to a boring, unpleasant exercise schedule for the next 40 years would send anyone to the couch. Experiment with different activities until you find something you like. If you get sick of that, try something else.

Diet: Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily is effective at preventing heart disease. Make it a habit to try something different in the produce aisle each time you hit the supermarket.

The rate of developing atherosclerosis accelerates in middle age, and so should your approach to reducing the risk.

Risk factors (high blood pressure or cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and smoking) become extremely important through these years. Everyone should see a doctor sometime soon after turning 40. He or she can assess your risk factors and provide a treatment plan.

Exercise: If you’ve been sedentary most of your life, you don’t need to run marathons to get a benefit. Any activity is better than none.

  • Start slow and work up to 30 minutes of walking daily.
  • Take the stairs. Walk up one flight, or down two.
  • At the grocery store, park the car at the far end of the lot and walk.
  • Take an extra lap around the mall before heading home.

Diet: Ask each member of your family to choose a favorite (or least-hated) vegetable. Rotate through everyone’s favorite at dinnertime. Toss in a salad, and you’re well on your way to reducing your atherosclerosis risk.

Cut back on the red meat, as well. Keep meat portions small (the size of a deck of cards). Lean, skinless poultry is a great choice.

Don’t use the excuse, “at my age, changing my lifestyle won’t make any difference.” In fact, adopting a healthy lifestyle in middle age reduces the risk of death from atherosclerosis by two-thirds

The near- and post-retirement years should be a time to enjoy oneself. But it’s also a time to think about health risks. The No. 1 threat by far, for both men and women, is atherosclerosis.

The rates of atherosclerosis complications skyrocket after age 65. For example, 85% of deaths from atherosclerosis occur in this age group. But you can reduce this risk dramatically by making changes to your routine.

Risk factors: A large number of people in this age group will need medicines to treat high blood pressure and cholesterol. These medicines make a profound difference, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis dramatically.

Despite the known benefits, studies show that many people stop taking cholesterol medicines after several months, increasing their risk unnecessarily. Don’t be one of them. Discuss any concerns with your doctor, and stick with your treatment plan.

Exercise: Exercise has a stronger beneficial effect in older age than ever before. Find an exercise buddy, roust your spouse off the couch, or start a neighborhood walking club, but get moving!

Atherosclerosis starts early and progresses throughout life. You can’t see or feel it, but in most of us the process is already under way.

The plaques of atherosclerosis can grow to become blood vessel blockages. If a plaque ruptures, the sudden blood clot causes a heart attack or stroke.

Atherosclerosis is common, unpredictable, and potentially deadly. Is there any good news? Because atherosclerosis takes decades to progress, the process can be slowed down at any point, reducing the risk.

Regardless of your age, there are specific steps you can take to slow down atherosclerosis. Take a moment to consider what changes you can make today, to protect your arteries later.

And the single best way to reduce your risk of atherosclerosis, at any age: don’t smoke! If you do smoke, see your doctor: New treatments are available that make it easier to quit.

Top Picks

What foods and drinks best thin the blood and clean the blood vessels

Hot pepper is one of the best natural remedies against thrombosis
Photo: pixabay. com

Some foods and drinks help prevent and treat thrombosis.

Thrombosis is treated with blood thinners. But in the initial stages of the disease or for prevention, such drugs, on the contrary, can increase the risk of bleeding and stroke!

The so-called alkaline food, which helps to get rid of oxidative processes in the blood, will help replace medicines. So you can get an even greater effect than from pharmaceuticals, because the latter eliminate the symptoms, and the former treat the cause.

Foods and drinks that thin the blood:

  • Water. Dehydration can lead to blood clotting and risk of thrombosis. Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day. The best liquids for hydration are freshly squeezed juices, as they have an alkaline effect.

  • Garlic. Reduces blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, is effective in preventing thrombosis, protects blood vessels and the heart from the harmful effects of free radicals.

  • Turmeric. Helps prevent blood clotting, acts as an antiplatelet agent and may be a better alternative to this pharmaceutical.

  • Ginger. Has a positive effect on platelet aggregation, making it useful for blood thinning. Contains a natural acid called salicylate, which is an anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant compound.

  • Hot pepper. This is one of the fastest acting anticoagulants, preventing platelet aggregation that can cause blood clots. Eating a lot of pepper can even destroy blood clots!

  • Pineapple. It contains an enzyme called bromelain, which is a natural blood thinner that reduces the stickiness of platelets. These benefits are increased when you pair pineapple with turmeric and ginger.

  • Juicy fruits and vegetables. These are some of the best products to help thin your blood naturally. They are able to cleanse the blood of toxins, form alkali and contain minerals needed by the body.

Blood thinners:

  • Vitamin B3. It has long been used as a natural blood-thinning supplement to lower bad cholesterol and help reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke.

  • Vitamin E. Excellent natural remedy for preventing blood clots and hardening of the arteries. Vitamin E capsules are a good option.

Earlier, Kuban News told which method best helps to thin the blood.

Subscribe

News of the Krasnodar Territory
in Telegram

#health
, #products
, #good advice
, #nutrition
, #medicine

TOP 12 products for vascular health

There are products, the use of which prevents the development of atherosclerosis, reduces inflammation of blood vessels and the deposition of atherosclerotic plaques in them. Here they are:

1. Avocado
Try to make an avocado sandwich at least once a week (just put thin slices of avocado without butter on the bread).

Researchers from Mexico found that people who eat avocados every day for a week, on average, have a 17% decrease in the level of total blood cholesterol, due to the bad, and, conversely, the level of good increases. If you don’t like the taste of such a sandwich, cut this exotic vegetable into a salad.

2. Whole grains
Fiber (dietary fiber), which is found in whole grains (whole grain bread, brown rice, oatmeal and buckwheat, etc.), binds excess cholesterol and removes from the body.

3. Salmon (or other oily fish)
Oily fish such as mackerel, herring, tuna and salmon contain omega-3 fatty acids. Eating oily fish twice a week reduces the risk of heart disease, reduces inflammation and improves cholesterol metabolism.

4. Asparagus
Asparagus is one of the best natural artery cleaners – it contains a lot of folate, which treats years of vascular inflammation and lowers blood pressure. Therefore, asparagus is considered a natural medicine that prevents blood clots.

Note: Boil the asparagus for only a couple of minutes in salted water, then drizzle with olive oil.

5. Pomegranate
Pomegranate contains many phytochemicals that protect the lining of the arteries from inflammation and damage. Pomegranate juice stimulates the formation of nitric oxide in the body, which dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow in the vessels.

Note: Do not drink juice from the store. Either use fresh pomegranates with seeds, or squeeze the juice and dilute it with clean water in a 1: 1 ratio.

6. Broccoli
Broccoli is rich in vitamin K, which is essential for strengthening bones and preventing calcium deposits in cholesterol plaques and damage to the arteries.

In addition, broccoli contains a lot of fiber, which normalizes blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Eat broccoli in soups and as a side dish. And the more often, the better.

Note: in order to preserve all the valuable substances, the cabbage is placed in boiling water, salt is added and covered over low heat, boiled for 3-5 minutes. Properly cooked cabbage should be slightly crunchy. You need to use it immediately, watering with milk sauce.

7. Turmeric
The spice turmeric has a very strong anti-inflammatory effect because it contains curcumin. Inflammation is the main cause of atherosclerosis and subsequent hardening of the arteries. Curcumin also helps to reduce fatty deposits in the arteries by as much as 26%.

Note: add turmeric to all first and second courses, as well as to warm milk.

8. Persimmon
Studies show that polyphenols, which are abundant in this fruit (persimmon contains twice as much fiber and more antioxidants than apple) can reduce the buildup of cholesterol on the inner walls of blood vessels.

9. Spirulina
Daily 4500 mg of this blue-green algae (usually in tablet or powder form) relieves chronic spasm of the artery walls, normalizes blood pressure and helps the liver produce good cholesterol, which slows down the development of atherosclerosis.