As to whether heart disease can be reversed has been a much debated topic in recent years. Most surgeons take the position that only through a surgical procedure can heart disease be reversed while the natural health community takes the position that only through lifestyle changes can real long lasting results be seen. This leaves most general medical practitioners somewhere in the middle. So you can see that opinions vary widely when asking can heart disease be reversed.
As you know the heart is a large muscle that expands and contracts, sending blood coursing through your veins and arteries to sustain life. Your heart also must adjust the rate and force at which it pumps blood to adapt to whatever set of circumstances it is faced with. For instance, when you exercise more blood is required thus the number of beats per minute increases. Conversely when one sleeps their heart rate slows dramatically.
But as we age our hearts pumping capacity starts to decline. For when a person is young their heart can comfortably pound out 180 beats per minute but by the time they reach the age of 80 this number has dropped to a meager 145. For this reason, as a person ages their capability for vigorous exercise will continue to decline, being cut in half by age 80.
The arteries are the key to longevity
The combination between a weakening heart muscle and clogged, and stiffer arteries is deadly one, usually leading to a heart attack or stroke. If the arteries have been narrowed by cholesterol deposits an already weakened heart must find a way to continue to force blood though the arteries. Its solution is to pump harder and change the timing of its valves. So the answer to our question as can heart disease be reversed lies with keeping the arteries free from cholesterol laden plaque deposits.
Keeping your arteries open and free from dangerous plaque is an important part of staying young at heart. Let's look at four basic steps to help us accomplish this.
*Diet: Keeping dangerous blood cholesterol under control by consuming foods low in saturated fat and high in fiber is a good place to start. This translates to eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and substituting lean turkey breast or fish for high fat meats. Additionally, many people have found natural cholesterol reduction supplements to be a helpful dietary tool in the battle against high cholesterol.
*Don't allow yourself to become inactive: We have discussed how the aging process reduces our capacity for exercise but that doesn't mean you have to stop being active. You simply have to be smarter about your activities. If you are thinking about, or already have become a couch potato, keep in mind that according to the CDC approximately 40 percent of people with heart disease are inactive.
*Keep an eye on your blood pressure: If your blood pressure starts to rise it means your weakened heart is having to work harder almost all of the time. The two best suggestions here are stay away from salt and talk with your doctor about ways to rein in high blood pressure.
*Quit smoking: Smoking causes the arteries to narrow putting even more pressure on the heart. Studies show smokers are up to 4 times more likely to have a heart attack than non smokers.
No comments:
Post a Comment