Posted by W. Scott Sheldon, DO, FACC on Wed, Oct 28, 2009
Artherosclerosis and cholesterol plaques are progressive. But they are also preventable. Web MD tells us of the nine risk factors that are to blame for up to 90% of all heart attacks
1. Smoking
2. High cholesterol
3. High blood pressure
4. Diabetes
5. Abdominal obesity ("spare tire")
6. Stress
7. Not eating many fruits and vegetables
8. Excessive consumption of alcohol -- more than one drink per day for women, or more than one or two drinks per day for men
9. Not getting regular physical activity
For people at moderate or higher risk from cholesterol plaques, taking one baby aspirin every day can help prevent clots from forming, but ask your doctor before starting--it can have side effects.
The best way to treat cholesterol plaques is to prevent them from forming. The second best—to stop them from progressing further. The lifestyle changes associated with the nine points above and, if needed, medicines can lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
But a healthy diet, frequent exercise, and not smoking, even with the help of cholesterol and blood pressure medicines, won't unclog arteries. Even after developing coronary artery disease it is not too late! You can still improve your chances of reducing heart attack and stroke by 80% by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol, stop smoking, and being compliant with your medications!
Medically, various medications can lower cholesterol levels or doctors can perform procedures.
Medicines:
• statins (Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, Mevacor, Simvastatin, Lovastatin)
• fibrates (TriCor, TriLipix, Fenofibrate)
• niacin (Niaspan)
• cholesterol binding agents (Zetia)
Treatments include:
• Angiography, angioplasty, and stenting: cardiac catheterization is when a catheter is inserted into an artery in the leg, so doctors can enter diseased arteries. With blocked arteries visible on a screen, a tiny balloon on the catheter is inflated to compress cholesterol plaque. Placing metal stents helps to keep arteries open.
• Bypass surgery: Surgeons harvest a healthy blood vessel from the leg or chest and use it to bypass blocked arteries.
These procedures involve a risk of complications. They are usually saved for people with significant symptoms or limitations caused by the cholesterol plaques of atherosclerosis.
About the author:
Dr. Sheldon completed his Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic
Foundation. He specializes in Interventional Cardiology including
Balloon Angioplasty, Laser, Directional Brachy Therapy, Atherectomy,
Stent Placement, Rotoblator, Perepheral Intervention, Renal Stenting,
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Stenting and Acute Myocardial Infarction. Dr.
Sheldon sees patients in our Elyria and Sandusky offices.
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