There are many treatments for blocked arteries. You can avoid undergoing invasive surgery and follow a healthy lifestyle. Dietary changes, exercise, meditation, and stopping smoking can all help clear your arteries without surgery. The sooner you get diagnosed with a heart blockage, the better your chances of a successful treatment. Also, early diagnosis is critical because treatments are more effective if they are done before it becomes more severe.
Dietary changes
While you can’t completely remove arterial plaque with a procedure, you can greatly reduce your risk by making dietary changes. Excessive fats from fried foods and processed foods should be eliminated, and unhealthy fats replaced with healthy ones, such as extra virgin olive oil, fish, nuts, and seeds. High-fat dairy should also be replaced with light or skimmed varieties. By following these tips, you can clear your arteries naturally and avoid the need for surgery.
Exercise
Studies have shown that regular exercise improves the function of the endothelial cells in the arteries, which can help clear blocked arteries. Regular exercise also helps bone marrow produce endothelial progenitor cells, which replace aging endothelial cells and repair damaged arteries. High levels of these cells are associated with protection against cardiovascular disease and cardiac events. To get these cells, people with coronary artery disease should perform 30 to 40 minutes of brisk walking each day.
The authors of the study are Gerhard-Herman MD, Harwood AE, Pymer S, and Ingle L. They published their findings in the BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med journal. They also cite the CAPRIE Steering Committee and the American College of Cardiology Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. This research shows that exercise has the potential to clear blocked arteries without surgery. While traffic fumes may reduce the effectiveness of physical activity, they are unlikely to decrease its benefits.
Meditation
Researchers have confirmed the effectiveness of meditation in clearing blocked arteries. A study published in the American Journal of Hypertension suggested that transcendental meditation can help people with coronary artery disease lower their blood pressure. This is important because the majority of participants in the study, who were high-risk patients, were highly stressed. This type of meditation helped them reduce their blood pressure by as much as 50%. It is also possible that meditation reduces stress hormones and dampens inflammatory processes.
One of the most common types of meditation involves standing up in a relaxed position. A person needs to relax their shoulders, elbows, and body by passively observing their breath. Standing for at least 10 minutes a day has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by 5mm. Meditation is an excellent stress reduction method, so it’s important to discuss it with a health care provider before beginning any new exercise program.
Coronary angioplasty
The procedure of opening a blocked artery is called coronary angioplasty and involves inserting a catheter into a blood vessel. It contains a deflated balloon at its tip, which is inflated to compress the plaque against the blood vessel walls. The balloon may be inflated and deflated several times. Afterwards, a stent is placed inside the blood vessel, which acts as a scaffold that helps to keep the artery open. This prevents the plaque from springing back towards the center of the vessel.
After the procedure, the patient will be moved to a specialized care unit. A nurse will monitor the heart and blood pressure while the blood vessels seal. A nurse will also check for bleeding, if any. A patient can walk a few hours after the procedure, but the area where the tube was inserted may be sore for a week. Follow-up visits with a physician are important for the patient.
The procedure involves a catheter inserted into the artery through a cut in the arm or groin. A thin guide wire is threaded through the artery to the blocked coronary artery. The physician then slides a small balloon inside the tube. The balloon pushes the plaque against the artery wall, resulting in more room for blood flow. In some cases, multiple balloon inflated sessions are required to completely clear the blocked artery.
In some cases, the balloon will need to be inflated. A balloon with a deflated tip is inserted through a blood vessel to the blockage. Then, a specially trained heart doctor will inflate the balloon. The inflation pushes the blockage out of the way, while the stent keeps the new shape against the artery wall. Ultimately, this will create a permanent scaffold that props open the artery and allow blood to flow to the heart muscle.
While the retrograde approach is not without complications, there are fewer risks associated with this type of procedure than the standard angioplasty. Nevertheless, some patients will require further treatment after the procedure. The best treatment for a patient will depend on the type of blockage, age, and any co-existing medical conditions. For this reason, only a trained physician will decide which procedure is right for them.