Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Can you actually reverse and/or remove plaque in the arteries?

Curious, dont have any but can always prevent! I am overweight so would like to be as preventative as possible. Can arteries actually be cleared out and what are the best confirmed and true ways to improve heart health and prevent disease and issues?
4 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Everyone... Stating use.... I 100% linked to mito disease... You do not want your powerhouse unable to work.  You won't have energery and not to mention the amount of ROX.
Helpful - 0
159619 tn?1707018272
COMMUNITY LEADER
There have actually been studies that show aggressive statin treatments may reverse plaque level to some degree. Here's an interesting read;

https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/atherosclerosis/29684
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
wow u guys these questions and comments are where I'm at right now. I was just diagnosed with plaque in my left descending aorta and I'm searching for information. I am increasing my exercising and improving my.diet i am a vegetarian but eat cheese not any more .  I'm scared right now
How did you find out? I had a CT-Scan 6 years ago and they gave me an Agatston Score for the same artery (LAD) at 783 - this should have had very serious consequences, but it did not. I quit Statin drugs at that time - very serious side effects and had an Echo done six months ago. The cardiologist said: "You are fine, go home. See your family doctor from now on".
20748650 tn?1521032211
Yeah you can't exactly reverse it per se.. You can just keep it from getting worse.

These plaques aren't necessarily something you acquired, you were born with them. As we move through life these plaques get larger at different rates, depending mostly on our genes and our lifestyle.

Some people are unforunate enough to be born with alot of lesions and with genes that support their growth. Other folks barely have any, and eat cheeseburgers their whole life without heart disease. Its sort of the hand you were dealt and it will never truly go away.

Under ideal conditions you could *in theory* see a small loss in atherosclerotic plaque burden. I don't know however what sort of data exists on this, so just be advised; can't say decisively what, if any, reduction should,be expected.

Ideal conditions are all those things you know, diet, exercise, meds, lifestyle etc. etc.

Additionally bear in mind many plaques are calcified. Those dont get smaller or go away by any stretch of the imagination.

Not tryna be a debby downer here, I certainly encourage you to improve your lifestyle if possible. Just tryna be real here though; some of the damage done to your heart is permanent.

Failure to change ones personal life often just causes more damage, which, once done, is going to effect the patient for the rest of their lives as a reminder...

Thats not to say the heart doesn't heal, relatively speaking it heals well.. But make no mistake it scars and loses at least a small portion of its function. Ignore it and it'll break eventually.
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
Fully agree with 2210. You can not reverse plaque, you can only try to avoid it getting worse.
Still there was a cardiologist in the 1980's who claimed that a vigorous diet could reverse plaque. He was/is not taken very serious by his collegues though. His name is Dr Dean Ornish. A lot of his ideas can be found on the internet.
Interesting Ger, I'm definately interested in looking in to it.

I can't see fibrosis or lipids necessarily going away. However the presence of macrophages/foam cells may be influenced by a dramatic shift in diet/lifestyle.

It's not something I've put too much thought or energy in to it.
5536886 tn?1455827346
There are some things that you can do to help clear out the plaque, but do understand that at a certain point, it's very important to not rely on doing this on your own- you should be under a doctors care so they know the severity of the condition.  

First, you can watch your fats- don't eat foods high in saturated fats- keep away from vegetable oils and things like that.  You can add in good fats too- Omega 3 fatty acids for example- fish, avocados, nuts all are a great source for this.  

Find some down time activities- not just watching tv and vegging out, but something like yoga.  You will also want to add some exercise into your daily routine.  It doesn't have to be a huge routine- but do something like go for a brisk walk 2-3 times a day.  

Avoid smoking and alcohol.

Hope this helps!
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Heart Disease Community

Top Heart Disease Answerers
159619 tn?1707018272
Salt Lake City, UT
11548417 tn?1506080564
Netherlands
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Is a low-fat diet really that heart healthy after all? James D. Nicolantonio, PharmD, urges us to reconsider decades-long dietary guidelines.
Can depression and anxiety cause heart disease? Get the facts in this Missouri Medicine report.
Fish oil, folic acid, vitamin C. Find out if these supplements are heart-healthy or overhyped.
Learn what happens before, during and after a heart attack occurs.
What are the pros and cons of taking fish oil for heart health? Find out in this article from Missouri Medicine.
How to lower your heart attack risk.