Bodies By M.E.

Steps To Reverse Coronary Artery Disease

• “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Food choices that include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, soy products, nonfat dairy, and egg whites in their natural forms, and omega-3 fatty acids.

• Aerobic exercise- Accumulating enough aerobic exercise to expend 1,500 calories to stabilize existing plague and 2,200 Kcal/week to prevent coronary artery disease. ACSM standards recommend a minimum of 30 minutes 5 days a week. In addition to aerobic exercise, a well balanced strength training and flexibility program should be incorporated.

• Stress- Avoid stress when possible. If avoidance is not possible, change your reaction to the circumstance.

Is it possible to make up for the “sins” of the past committed during our younger years and reverse coronary artery disease? Through intensive lifestyle modification those diagnosed with CAD can reverse the progression of the disease and reduce cardiac events.

The Lifestyle Heart Trial examined CAD who made a comprehensive lifestyle changes and examined how these changes impacted the progression of their atherosclerosis with out the benefit of lipid lowering drugs (Ornish et al. 1998). A total of 48 participants with moderate to severe CAD were divided into a control group receiving the usual care and an experimental group who ate a 10% fat vegetarian diet and participated in moderate aerobic exercise, stress reduction, smoking cessation, and group psychosocial support. Participants were followed up five years later with an angiogram. Individuals in the experimental group reduced progression of CAD, where as the control group experienced CAD progression and twice as many cardiac events as the experimental group.

Recent research does suggest we can make up for poor lifestyle choices made earlier in our life. Primary prevention of CAD risk factors and lifestyle modification should always be our first line of defense.