04 Mar Atherosclerosis
Cardiovascular health includes healthy blood vessel function. Blood vessels don’t contain nerves, so there are no symptoms when things aren’t flowing smoothly. The key to healthy cardiovascular function is to optimize vessel pathways and enhance circulation. The following description offers a review of the importance of healthy blood vessels.
Atherosclerosis (athero=artery, sclerosis=hardening) is a hardening of the arteries caused by the deposition of plaque containing cholesterol, fatty material and cellular debris in the walls of the blood vessels that carry oxygen and other nutrients from the heart to the rest of the body. Atherosclerosis can lead to coronary-artery disease, heart attack, stroke, kidney damage, and decreased circulation to the brain and extremities.
Plaques form when low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a potentially harmful fraction of cholesterol, collects at artery junctions and, along with other fatty substances, becomes trapped in and damages the inner lining of the artery. As these fatty deposits accumulatea process that may begin in early adulthoodthey interfere with blood flow by narrowing the blood vessel and reducing its elasticity. In addition, these plaques may crack or tear, producing clots that can completely block off an artery. Should blood flow become severely restricted or blocked in a coronary artery, the heart muscle may be severely damaged, resulting in a heart attack. If a blockage occurs in the arteries providing blood to the brain, brain tissue may be severely damaged, precipitating a stroke.
Atherosclerosis affects 60 million Americans and is a significant cause of premature death. Each year, 1,100,000 new or recurrent heart attacks occur, which translates to the grim statistic that every 20 seconds a person in the U.S. has a heart attack. One-third of these attacks leads to death. Significant atherosclerosis may have developed as early as the 30s. Although up to age 45, atherosclerosis is more common in men, after menopause, women experience the same incidence.
The key point in regard to atherosclerosis is that it is directly related to unhealthy diet and lifestyle and can therefore not only be stopped, but dramatically reversed through adopting health-promoting dietary and lifestyle habits.
Signs & Symptoms
Blood vessels do not contain nerves, so pain is not experienced until atherosclerosis reaches advanced stages.
Symptoms depend upon what part of the body is affected by decreased blood flow, the extent of the blockage, and what damage results.
Leg muscle cramps: blood vessels in the legs are damaged
Angina pectoris or a heart attack: blood vessels to the heart are compromised
Stroke or transient ischemic attack: blood vessels to the neck and brain are involved
The key to the successful prevention and treatment of CVD is recognition of risk factors, modifying risk factors and interrupting pathways that connect the risk factors to the receptors discussed above. There are many scientifically proven nutraceuticals and dietary factors that accomplish this:
Curcurmin (turmeric)
Cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon)
Sulforaphane (broccoli)
Resveratrol (nutritional supplement, red wine, grapes)
Epigallocatechin gallate (green tea)
Luteolin (celery, green pepper, rosemary, carrots, oregano, oranges, olives)
Quercetin (tea, apples, onion, tomatoes, capers)
Chrysin
Omega 3 fatty acids