Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a very common disease of the major blood vessels. It is characterized by fatty streaks along the vessel walls and by deposits of cholesterol and calcium. Atherosclerosis of arteries supplying the heart is called coronary artery disease. It can restrict the flow of blood to the heart, which often triggers heart attacks—the leading cause of death in Americans and Europeans. Atherosclerosis of the arteries supplying the legs causes a condition called intermittent claudication.
People with elevated cholesterol levels are much more likely to have atherosclerosis than people with low cholesterol levels. Many important nutritional approaches to protecting against atherosclerosis are aimed at lowering serum cholesterol levels.
People with diabetes are also at very high risk for atherosclerosis, as are people with elevated triglycerides and high homocysteine.
What are the symptoms of atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is typically a silent disease until one of the many late-stage vascular manifestations intervenes. Some people with atherosclerosis may experience angina (chest pain) or intermittent claudication (leg cramps and pain) on exertion. Symptoms such as these develop gradually as the disease progresses.
How is it treated?
Prevention is the highest form of treatment for atherosclerosis. Once the disease is established, treatment is directed at the various complications (i.e., angina, heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and peripheral vascular disease).
Dietary changes that may be helpful:
The most important dietary changes in protecting arteries from atherosclerosis include avoiding meat and dairy fat and avoiding foods that contain trans fatty acids (margarine, some vegetable oils, and many processed foods containing vegetable oils). Increasingly, the importance of avoiding trans fatty acids is being accepted by the scientific community.1 Leading researchers have recently begun to view the evidence linking trans fatty acids to markers for heart disease as “unequivocal.
Lifestyle changes that may be helpful:
Virtually all doctors acknowledge the abundant evidence that smoking is directly linked to atherosclerosis and heart disease.18 Quitting smoking protects many people from atherosclerosis and heart disease, and is a critical step in the process of disease prevention.
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