Heart Disease: Lifestyle Is Key to Prevention
- By:john parker
Research on artery disease, or atherosclerosis, the most common form of heart disease, continues to shed new light on this complex disorder. Artery disease is characterized by the deposition of plaque on the artery walls. This plaque, composed of cholesterol, immune cells, calcium and many other substances, grows slowly over the course of a lifetime and is influenced by many factors. The more we learn about this disease, the more we understand the important role played by lifestyle variable, especially physical activity, diet, and weight control and stress response.
A key player in the formation of arterial plaque is LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. When LDLs become oxidized, they begin to stick to the cells lining the arteries. The immune system, sensing arterial damage, sends in its white blood cells, called macrophages, to repair the damage, setting off a process called inflammation. Unfortunately, this repair process increases, rather than decreases, plaque buildup. Certain immune cells involved in the inflammatory process increase the likelihood that cholesterol and other substances will adhere to the artery lining. They also cause the cells that line the artery to proliferate, which leads to more plaque buildup.
Not all arterial plaques cause serious harm. The ones that cause a heart attack or stroke appear to do so because they have ruptured. The type of plaque most likely to rupture is called unstable plaque, and has a greater level of active inflammation than stable plaque. When unstable plaque ruptures, blood clots form that may block blood flow, thus causing heart attack, stroke or other vascular disasters.
You can reduce your risk of artery disease by taking steps to slow the buildup of plaque and reduce the level of inflammation in your arteries. Your doctor may prescribe medications for some of these risk factors. In addition, here are some of the ways that lifestyle can help reduce your risk.
Reduce your LDL and raise your HDL levels
Total cholesterol level does not tell the whole story about risk of artery disease. Also important are the kinds of cholesterol found in the blood stream. The higher your LDL level, the greater your risk, because there are more LDLs ready to contribute to plaque buildup.
Optimal LDL levels are under 100 mg/dL, and under 130 is considered close to optimal. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol reduces artery disease risk. HDLs under 40 are considered risky.
A heart-healthy diet can help lower LDL levels.
Consume plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and replace saturated, trans and polyunsaturated fats with monounsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids. How do you do this? Reduce your intake of animal fat and high-fat dairy products, along with processed foods that contain hydrogenated oils (read the label). Use olive oil and canola oil when cooking, and increase your consumption of fish.
Regular physical activity is the best way to raise HDL levels. A heart-healthy diet combined with physical activity may help you lose a little weight (if overweight), which can also improve LDL levels.
Reduce LDL damage
Some lifestyle behaviors, especially smoking, increase LDL damage by causing oxidation reactions. These reactions activate LDL to form plaque. To reduce LDL damage, don’t smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke. Many fruits and vegetables provide helpful chemicals called antioxidants that may help prevent LDL damage.
Reduce artery inflammation
Smoking and weight gain have been associated with an increased level of inflammation, while regular physical activity and a heart-healthy diet with plenty of omega-3 fatty acids seem to reduce inflammation. (Note: even if quitting smoking leads to some weight gain, you are still much better off in terms of heart disease risk!)
Reduce artery damage
Several factors increase artery disease risk by accelerating arterial damage. Smoking introduces many harmful chemicals into the blood stream. Another risk factor is high blood pressure. Researchers now believe that even high-normal levels increase risk somewhat. The same goes for blood sugar levels; even somewhat elevated levels speed up arterial damage.
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