What are clogged arteries

What are clogged arteries ?

Clogged arteries is a condition in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside of the coronary arteries ¹. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood ¹. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body.

When the plaque builds up in the wall including inside the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. As arterial plaque builds up over many years, an artery wall gets thicker. This narrows the opening, reducing blood flow and the supply of oxygen to cells. During the buildup of arterial plaque, you might not notice a problem until you have a significant blockage. Plaque buildup also makes it more likely that blood clots will form in your arteries.

Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture (break open) inside of an artery. When this happens, blood cell fragments called platelets stick to the site of the injury. They may clump together to form blood clots. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow of oxygen-rich blood to your body.

If the blockage enlarges to completely block the artery and it isn’t treated quickly, the portion of heart, brain, muscles and vital organs fed by the artery begins to die, which can lead to serious problems, including stroke, blindness, gangrene, organ failure or even death.

The type of artery affected and where the plaque develops varies with each person ². Plaque may partially or totally block blood flow through a large or medium-sized artery in the heart, brain, pelvis, legs, arms or kidneys. When this happens, various diseases may result. These include:

• Coronary heart disease or coronary artery disease (plaque in arteries in or leading to the heart). These arteries supply blood to your heart. When they are blocked, you can suffer angina, a heart attack or even death.
• Angina (chest pain from reduced blood flow in arteries supplying the heart muscle).
• Carotid artery disease (plaque in neck arteries that supply blood to the brain). These arteries supply blood to your brain. When they are blocked you can suffer a stroke.
• Peripheral artery disease (plaque in arteries of the extremities, especially the legs). These arteries are in your arms, legs and pelvis. When they are blocked, you can suffer from numbness, pain and sometimes infections.
• Chronic kidney disease.

Where plaque occurs, two things can happen:

• One is that a piece of plaque may break off and be carried by the bloodstream until it gets stuck.
• The other is that a blood clot (thrombus) may form on the plaque’s surface.

If either of these things happen, the artery can be blocked and blood flow cut off. If the blocked artery supplying the heart or brain, a heart attack or stroke occurs. If an artery supplying oxygen to the extremities (often the legs) is blocked, gangrene can result. Gangrene is tissue death.

Figure 1. Normal artery wall

Figure 2. Atherosclerosis plaque

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Figure 3. Atherosclerosis plaque blocking the coronary artery in your heart

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Figure 4. Heart With Muscle Damage Due To A Clogged Left Coronary Artery

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What causes clogged arteries

Atherosclerosis is a slow, progressive disease that may start in childhood. In some people, it progresses rapidly in their 30s. In others, it doesn’t become dangerous until they reach their 50s or 60s. Some hardening of the arteries is normal as you age.

Exactly how atherosclerosis begins or what causes it isn’t known ⁵. Researchers continue to look for the causes of atherosclerosis or clogged arteries. They hope to find answers to questions such as ⁵:

• Why and how do the arteries become damaged ?
• How does plaque develop and change over time ?
• Why does plaque rupture and lead to blood clots ?

But some theories have been proposed ⁶. Many scientists believe plaque begins when an artery’s inner lining (called the endothelium) becomes damaged.

Certain traits, conditions, or habits may raise your risk for the disease. These conditions are known as risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the more likely it is that you’ll develop atherosclerosis.

You can control most risk factors and help prevent or delay atherosclerosis. Other risk factors can’t be controlled.

Major Risk Factors

• Unhealthy blood cholesterol levels. This includes high LDL cholesterol (sometimes called “bad” cholesterol) and low HDL cholesterol (sometimes called “good” cholesterol).
• High blood pressure. Blood pressure is considered high if it stays at or above 140/90 mmHg over time. If you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure is defined as 130/80 mmHg or higher. (The mmHg is millimeters of mercury—the units used to measure blood pressure.)
• Smoking. Smoking can damage and tighten blood vessels, raise cholesterol levels, and raise blood pressure. Smoking also doesn’t allow enough oxygen to reach the body’s tissues.
• Insulin resistance. This condition occurs if the body can’t use its insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that helps move blood sugar into cells where it’s used as an energy source. Insulin resistance may lead to diabetes.
• Diabetes. With this disease, the body’s blood sugar level is too high because the body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use its insulin properly.
• Overweight or obesity. The terms “overweight” and “obesity” refer to body weight that’s greater than what is considered healthy for a certain height.
• Lack of physical activity. A lack of physical activity can worsen other risk factors for atherosclerosis, such as unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes, and overweight and obesity.
• Unhealthy diet. An unhealthy diet can raise your risk for atherosclerosis. Foods that are high in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium (salt), and sugar can worsen other atherosclerosis risk factors.
• Older age. As you get older, your risk for atherosclerosis increases. Genetic or lifestyle factors cause plaque to build up in your arteries as you age. By the time you’re middle-aged or older, enough plaque has built up to cause signs or symptoms. In men, the risk increases after age 45. In women, the risk increases after age 55.
• Family history of early heart disease. Your risk for atherosclerosis increases if your father or a brother was diagnosed with heart disease before 55 years of age, or if your mother or a sister was diagnosed with heart disease before 65 years of age.

Although age and a family history of early heart disease are risk factors, it doesn’t mean that you’ll develop atherosclerosis if you have one or both. Controlling other risk factors often can lessen genetic influences and prevent atherosclerosis, even in older adults.

Studies show that an increasing number of children and youth are at risk for atherosclerosis. This is due to a number of causes, including rising childhood obesity rates.

Smoking has a big role in the growth of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries, aorta and arteries in the legs. It makes fatty deposits more likely to form and to grow bigger and faster.

Emerging Risk Factors

Scientists continue to study other possible risk factors for atherosclerosis.

• High levels of a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood may raise the risk for atherosclerosis and heart attack. High levels of CRP are a sign of inflammation in the body.

Inflammation is the body’s response to injury or infection. Damage to the arteries’ inner walls seems to trigger inflammation and help plaque grow.

People who have low CRP levels may develop atherosclerosis at a slower rate than people who have high CRP levels. Research is under way to find out whether reducing inflammation and lowering CRP levels also can reduce the risk for atherosclerosis.

• High levels of triglycerides in the blood also may raise the risk for atherosclerosis, especially in women. Triglycerides are a type of fat.

Studies are under way to find out whether genetics may play a role in atherosclerosis risk.

Other Factors That Affect Atherosclerosis

Other factors also may raise your risk for atherosclerosis, such as:

• Sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Untreated sleep apnea can raise your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, and even a heart attack or stroke.
• Stress. Research shows that the most commonly reported “trigger” for a heart attack is an emotionally upsetting event, especially one involving anger.
• Alcohol. Heavy drinking can damage the heart muscle and worsen other risk factors for atherosclerosis. Men should have no more than two drinks containing alcohol a day. Women should have no more than one drink containing alcohol a day.

How atherosclerosis starts

The inner lining of the artery, called the endothelium, can be damaged due to high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, toxic substances in cigarette smoke, high sugar levels, and other factors in the blood. High blood pressure can also cause damage to the inner lining of an artery. Once the blood vessel is damaged, atherosclerosis begins and a plaque forms.

How atherosclerosis progresses

Because of the damage, fats, cholesterol, platelets, cellular debris and calcium begin to deposit in the artery walls. These substances may stimulate the cells of the artery wall to produce still other materials. This results in more cells accumulating in the innermost layer of the artery wall where the atherosclerotic lesions form. These cells accumulate, and many divide. At the same time, fat builds up within and around these cells. They also form connective tissue. This buildup is called plaque. It usually affects large and medium-sized arteries. These cells and surrounding material thicken the endothelium significantly. The artery’s diameter shrinks and blood flow decreases, reducing oxygen supply.

How atherosclerotic plaque causes damage

Most of the damage occurs when plaques become fragile and rupture. Plaques that rupture cause the formation of blood clots that can block blood flow or break off and travel to another part of the body. In either of these cases, if a clot blocks a blood vessel that feeds the heart, it causes a heart attack. If it blocks a blood vessel that feeds the brain, it causes a stroke. If blood supply to the arms or legs is reduced or blocked, it can cause difficulty walking and eventually gangrene.

How to prevent clogged arteries

Taking action to control your risk factors can help prevent or delay clogged arteries or atherosclerosis and its related diseases. Your risk for atherosclerosis increases with the number of risk factors you have.

One step you can take is to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which can include:

• Heart-Healthy Eating. Adopt heart-healthy eating habits, which include eating different fruits and vegetables (including beans and peas), whole grains, lean meats, poultry without skin, seafood, and fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products. A heart-healthy diet is low in sodium, added sugar, solid fats, and refined grains. Following a heart-healthy diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

• Physical Activity. Be as physically active as you can. Physical activity can improve your fitness level and your health. Ask your doctor what types and amounts of activity are safe for you.

• Quit Smoking. If you smoke, quit. Smoking can damage and tighten blood vessels and raise your risk for atherosclerosis. Talk with your doctor about programs and products that can help you quit. Also, try to avoid secondhand smoke.

• Weight Control. If you’re overweight or obese, work with your doctor to create a reasonable weight-loss plan. Controlling your weight helps you control risk factors for atherosclerosis.

Other steps that can prevent or delay clogged arteries or atherosclerosis include knowing your family history of atherosclerosis. If you or someone in your family has an atherosclerosis-related disease, be sure to tell your doctor.

If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, your doctor may prescribe medicines to control your atherosclerosis risk factors. Take all of your medicines as your doctor advises.

Symptoms and signs of clogged arteries

Clogged arteries or atherosclerosis usually doesn’t cause symptoms until it severely narrows or totally blocks an artery ⁷. Many people don’t know they have it until they have a medical emergency, such as a heart attack or stroke.

Some people may have signs and symptoms of the disease. Signs and symptoms will depend on which arteries are affected.

Coronary Arteries

The coronary arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart. If plaque narrows or blocks these arteries (a disease called coronary heart disease), a common symptom is angina. Angina is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood.

Angina may feel like pressure or squeezing in your chest ⁷. You also may feel it in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. Angina pain may even feel like indigestion. The pain tends to get worse with activity and go away with rest. Emotional stress also can trigger the pain.

Other symptoms of coronary heart disease are shortness of breath and arrhythmias ⁷. Arrhythmias are problems with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat.

Plaque also can form in the heart’s smallest arteries. This disease is called coronary microvascular disease ⁷. Symptoms of coronary microvascular disease include angina, shortness of breath, sleep problems, fatigue (tiredness), and lack of energy ⁷.

Carotid Arteries

The carotid arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your brain ⁷. If plaque narrows or blocks these arteries (a disease called carotid artery disease), you may have symptoms of a stroke. These symptoms may include ⁷:

• Sudden weakness
• Paralysis (an inability to move) or numbness of the face, arms, or legs, especially on one side of the body
• Confusion
• Trouble speaking or understanding speech
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Problems breathing
• Dizziness, trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination, and unexplained falls
• Loss of consciousness
• Sudden and severe headache

Peripheral Arteries

Plaque also can build up in the major arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the legs, arms, and pelvis (a disease called peripheral artery disease) ⁷.

If these major arteries are narrowed or blocked, you may have numbness, pain, and, sometimes, dangerous infections.

Renal Arteries

The renal arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your kidneys. If plaque builds up in these arteries, you may develop chronic kidney disease. Over time, chronic kidney disease causes a slow loss of kidney function.

Early kidney disease often has no signs or symptoms. As the disease gets worse it can cause tiredness, changes in how you urinate (more often or less often), loss of appetite, nausea (feeling sick to the stomach), swelling in the hands or feet, itchiness or numbness, and trouble concentrating ⁷.

How is clogged arteries diagnosed ?

Your doctor will diagnose clogged arteries or atherosclerosis based on your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and test results ⁸.

Specialists Involved

If you have atherosclerosis, a primary care doctor, such as an internist or family practitioner, may handle your care. Your doctor may recommend other health care specialists if you need expert care, such as:

• A cardiologist. This is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating heart diseases and conditions. You may go to a cardiologist if you have peripheral artery disease or coronary microvascular disease.
• A vascular specialist. This is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating blood vessel problems. You may go to a vascular specialist if you have peripheral artery disease.
• A neurologist. This is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating nervous system disorders. You may see a neurologist if you’ve had a stroke due to carotid artery disease.
• A nephrologist. This is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating kidney diseases and conditions. You may go to a nephrologist if you have chronic kidney disease.

Physical Exam

During the physical exam, your doctor may listen to your arteries for an abnormal whooshing sound called a bruit. Your doctor can hear a bruit when placing a stethoscope over an affected artery. A bruit may indicate poor blood flow due to plaque buildup.

Your doctor also may check to see whether any of your pulses (for example, in the leg or foot) are weak or absent. A weak or absent pulse can be a sign of a blocked artery.

Diagnostic Tests

Your doctor may recommend one or more tests to diagnose atherosclerosis. These tests also can help your doctor learn the extent of your disease and plan the best treatment.

Blood Tests

Blood tests check the levels of certain fats, cholesterol, sugar, and proteins in your blood. Abnormal levels may be a sign that you’re at risk for atherosclerosis.

EKG (Electrocardiogram)

An EKG is a simple, painless test that detects and records the heart’s electrical activity. The test shows how fast the heart is beating and its rhythm (steady or irregular). An EKG also records the strength and timing of electrical signals as they pass through the heart.

An EKG can show signs of heart damage caused by coronary heart disease. The test also can show signs of a previous or current heart attack.

Chest X Ray

A chest x ray takes pictures of the organs and structures inside your chest, such as your heart, lungs, and blood vessels. A chest x ray can reveal signs of heart failure.

Ankle/Brachial Index

This test compares the blood pressure in your ankle with the blood pressure in your arm to see how well your blood is flowing. This test can help diagnose peripheral artery disease.

Echocardiography

Echocardiography (echo) uses sound waves to create a moving picture of your heart. The test provides information about the size and shape of your heart and how well your heart chambers and valves are working.

Echo also can identify areas of poor blood flow to the heart, areas of heart muscle that aren’t contracting normally, and previous injury to the heart muscle caused by poor blood flow.

Computed Tomography Scan

A computed tomography (CT) scan creates computer-generated pictures of the heart, brain, or other areas of the body. The test can show hardening and narrowing of large arteries.

A cardiac CT scan also can show whether calcium has built up in the walls of the coronary (heart) arteries. This may be an early sign of coronary heart disease.

Stress Testing

During stress testing, you exercise to make your heart work hard and beat fast while heart tests are done. If you can’t exercise, you may be given medicine to make your heart work hard and beat fast.

When your heart is working hard, it needs more blood and oxygen. Plaque-narrowed arteries can’t supply enough oxygen-rich blood to meet your heart’s needs.

A stress test can show possible signs and symptoms of coronary heart disease, such as:

• Abnormal changes in your heart rate or blood pressure
• Shortness of breath or chest pain
• Abnormal changes in your heart rhythm or your heart’s electrical activity

As part of some stress tests, pictures are taken of your heart while you exercise and while you rest. These imaging stress tests can show how well blood is flowing in various parts of your heart. They also can show how well your heart pumps blood when it beats.

Angiography

Angiography is a test that uses dye and special x rays to show the inside of your arteries. This test can show whether plaque is blocking your arteries and how severe the blockage is.

A thin, flexible tube called a catheter is put into a blood vessel in your arm, groin (upper thigh), or neck. Dye that can be seen on an x-ray picture is injected through the catheter into the arteries. By looking at the x-ray picture, your doctor can see the flow of blood through your arteries.

Other Tests

Other tests are being studied to see whether they can give a better view of plaque buildup in the arteries. Examples of these tests include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET).

Home Remedy For Clogged Arteries

Your doctor may recommend home remedies such as heart-healthy lifestyle changes if you have atherosclerosis. Heart-healthy lifestyle changes include heart-healthy eating, aiming for a healthy weight, managing stress, physical activity and quitting smoking ⁹.

Heart-healthy eating

Heart-healthy eating involves consuming vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, lean meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, soy products, legumes, and vegetable oils (except coconut and palm oils). Also, it limits sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and alcohol ¹⁰.

Your doctor may recommend the heart-healthy Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan because it has been proven to lower blood pressure and bad LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Foods to eat

The following foods are the foundation of a heart-healthy diet.

• Vegetables such as greens (spinach, collard greens, kale), broccoli, cabbage, and carrots
• Fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, pears, grapes, and prunes
• Whole grains such as plain oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain bread or tortillas
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy foods such as milk, cheese, or yogurt.

• Protein-rich foods:
• Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and trout, about 8 ounces a week
• Lean meats such as 95 percent lean ground beef or pork tenderloin
• Poultry such as skinless chicken or turkey
• Eggs
• Nuts, seeds, and soy products
• Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and lima beans.

• Oils and foods containing high levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that can help lower blood cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some sources of these oils are:
• Canola, corn, olive, safflower, sesame, sunflower, and soybean oils
• Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts
• Nut and seed butters
• Salmon and trout
• Seeds such as sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, or flax
• Avocados
• Tofu

How much should you eat ?

You should eat the right amount of calories for your body, which will vary based on your sex, age, and physical activity level. Find out your daily calorie needs or goals with the Body Weight Planner ¹¹.

• Body Weight Planner. https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/bwp/index.html

To find out about how many calories you should eat to lose weight according to your weight, age, sex, height and physical activity, you can use a FREE online app Body Weight Planner ¹¹

ChooseMyPlate. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/

To find out about the 5 Food Groups you should have on your plate for a meal, you can use a FREE online app ChooseMyPlate ¹²

SuperTracker website: https://supertracker.usda.gov

To find out What and How Much To Eat, you can use a FREE, award-winning, state-of-the-art, online diet and activity tracking tool called SuperTracker ¹³ from the United States Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion ¹³. This free application empowers you to build a healthier diet, manage weight, and reduce your risk of chronic diet-related diseases. You can use SuperTracker ¹³ to determine what and how much to eat; track foods, physical activities, and weight; and personalize with goal setting, virtual coaching, and journaling.

• BMI Calculator Adults. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html
• BMI Calculator Children. https://nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx

To find out about your body mass index (BMI), you can use a FREE online BMI calculators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – for Adults ¹⁴ and for Children ¹⁵

You may also visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans ¹⁶ for more information about healthy eating and to read about their recommendations for the following healthy eating patterns.

• Healthy U.S.-style eating pattern ¹⁷
• Healthy Mediterranean-style eating pattern ¹⁸
• Healthy vegetarian eating pattern ¹⁹

Nutrients to limit

A heart-healthy diet limits sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and alcohol.

Sodium

Adults and children over the age of 14 should eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Children younger than 14 may need to eat even less sodium each day based on their sex and age. If you have high blood pressure, you may need to restrict your sodium intake even more. Talk to your doctor or health care provider about what amount of sodium is right for you or your child.

Try these shopping and cooking tips to help you choose and prepare foods that are lower in sodium.

• Read food labels and choose products that have less sodium for the same serving size.
• Choose low-sodium, reduced sodium, or no-salt added products.
• Choose fresh, frozen, or no-salt-added foods instead of pre-seasoned, sauce-marinated, brined, or processed meats, poultry, and vegetables.
• Eat at home more often so you can cook food from scratch, which will allow you to control the amount of sodium in your meals.
• When cooking, limit your use of premade sauces, mixes, and “instant” products such as rice, noodles, and ready-made pasta.
• Flavor foods with herbs and spices instead of salt.

Saturated and trans fats

When you follow a heart-healthy eating plan, you should:

• Eat less than 10 percent of your daily calories from saturated fats found naturally in foods that come from animals and some plants.
• Limit intake of trans fats to as low as possible by limiting foods that contain high amounts of trans fats.

The following are examples of foods that are high in saturated or trans fats.

• Saturated fats are found in high amounts in fatty cuts of meat, poultry with skin, whole-milk dairy foods, butter, lard, and coconut and palm oils.
• Trans fats are found in high amounts in foods made with partially hydrogenated oils, such as some desserts, microwave popcorn, frozen pizza, stick margarines, and coffee creamers.

To help you limit your intake of saturated fats and trans fats:

• Read the nutrition labels and replace foods high in saturated fats with leaner, lower-fat animal products or vegetable oils, such as olive or canola oil instead of butter. Foods that are higher in saturated fats, such as fatty meats and high-fat dairy products, tend to be higher in dietary cholesterol that should also be limited.
• Read the nutrition labels and choose foods that do not contain trans fats. Some trans fats naturally occur in very small amounts in dairy products and meats. Foods containing these very low levels of natural trans fats do not need to be eliminated from your diet because they have other important nutrients.

Added sugars

When you follow a heart-healthy eating plan, you should limit the amount of calories you consume each day from added sugars. Because added sugars do not provide essential nutrients and are extra calories, limiting them can help you choose nutrient-rich foods and stay within your daily calorie limit.

Some foods, such as fruit, contain natural sugars. Added sugars do not occur naturally in foods, but instead are used to sweeten foods and drinks. Some examples of added sugars include brown sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, raw sugar, and sucrose.

In the United States, sweetened drinks, snacks, and sweets are the major sources of added sugars. Sweetened drinks account for about half of all added sugars consumed. The following are examples of foods and drinks with added sugars.

• Sweetened drinks include soft drinks or sodas, fruit drinks, sweetened coffee and tea, energy drinks, alcoholic drinks, and favored waters.
• Snacks and sweets include grain-based desserts such as cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, doughnuts; dairy desserts such as ice cream, frozen desserts, and pudding; candies; sugars; jams; syrups; and sweet toppings.

To help you reduce the amount of added sugars in your diet:

• Choose unsweetened or whole fruits for snacks or dessert.
• Choose drinks without added sugar such as water, low-fat or fat-free milk, or 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice.
• Limit intake of sweetened drinks, snacks and desserts by eating them less often and in smaller amounts.

Alcohol

If you drink alcohol, you should limit your intake. Men should have no more than two alcoholic drinks per day. Women should have no more than one alcoholic drink per day. One drink is:

• 12 ounces of regular beer (5 percent alcohol)
• 5 ounces of wine (12 percent alcohol)
• 1½ ounces of 80-proof liquor (40 percent alcohol)

Talk to your doctor about how much alcohol you drink. Your doctor may recommend that you reduce the amount of alcohol you drink or that you stop drinking alcohol. Too much alcohol can:

• Raise your blood pressure and levels of triglyceride fats in your blood.
• Add calories to your daily diet and possibly cause you to gain weight.
• Worsen heart failure in some patients.
• Contribute to heart failure in some people with cardiomyopathy.

If you do not drink, you should not start drinking. You should not drink if you are pregnant, under the age of 21, taking certain medicines, or have certain medical conditions including heart failure. It is important for people with heart failure to take in the correct amounts and types of liquids because too much liquid can worsen heart failure.

Remember that alcoholic drinks do contain calories and contribute to your daily calorie limits. The amount of calories will vary by the type of alcoholic drink.

How is clogged arteries treated ?

Treatments for clogged arteries or atherosclerosis may include heart-healthy lifestyle changes, medicines, and medical procedures or surgery ⁹. The goals of treatment include ⁹:

• Lowering the risk of blood clots forming
• Preventing atherosclerosis-related diseases
• Reducing risk factors in an effort to slow or stop the buildup of plaque
• Relieving symptoms
• Widening or bypassing plaque-clogged arteries

Medicines

Sometimes lifestyle changes alone aren’t enough to control your cholesterol levels. For example, you also may need statin medications to control or lower your cholesterol. By lowering your blood cholesterol level, you can decrease your chance of having a heart attack or stroke. Doctors usually prescribe statins for people who have:

• Coronary heart disease, peripheral artery disease, or had a prior stroke
• Diabetes
• High LDL cholesterol levels

Doctors may discuss beginning statin treatment with people who have an elevated risk for developing heart disease or having a stroke.

Your doctor also may prescribe other medications to:

• Lower your blood pressure
• Lower your blood sugar levels
• Prevent blood clots, which can lead to heart attack and stroke
• Prevent inflammation

Take all medicines regularly, as your doctor prescribes. Don’t change the amount of your medicine or skip a dose unless your doctor tells you to. You should still follow a heart healthy lifestyle, even if you take medicines to treat your atherosclerosis.

Medical Procedures and Surgery

If you have severe atherosclerosis, your doctor may recommend a medical procedure or surgery.

Percutaneous coronary intervention, also known as coronary angioplasty, is a procedure that’s used to open blocked or narrowed coronary (heart) arteries. Percutaneous coronary intervention can improve blood flow to the heart and relieve chest pain. Sometimes a small mesh tube called a stent is placed in the artery to keep it open after the procedure.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a type of surgery. In coronary artery bypass grafting, arteries or veins from other areas in your body are used to bypass or go around your narrowed coronary arteries. Coronary artery bypass grafting can improve blood flow to your heart, relieve chest pain, and possibly prevent a heart attack.

Bypass grafting also can be used for leg arteries. For this surgery, a healthy blood vessel is used to bypass a narrowed or blocked artery in one of the legs. The healthy blood vessel redirects blood around the blocked artery, improving blood flow to the leg.

Carotid endarterectomy is a type of surgery to remove plaque buildup from the carotid arteries in the neck. This procedure restores blood flow to the brain, which can help prevent a stroke.

Living with clogged arteries

Improved treatments have reduced the number of deaths from atherosclerosis-related diseases. These treatments also have improved the quality of life for people who have these diseases.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle may help you prevent or delay atherosclerosis and the problems it can cause. This, along with ongoing medical care, can help you avoid the problems of atherosclerosis and live a long, healthy life.

Researchers continue to look for ways to improve the health of people who have atherosclerosis or may develop it.

Ongoing Care

If you have atherosclerosis, work closely with your doctor and other health care providers to avoid serious problems, such as heart attack and stroke.

Follow your treatment plan and take all of your medicines as your doctor prescribes. Your doctor will let you know how often you should schedule office visits or blood tests. Be sure to let your doctor know if you have new or worsening symptoms.

Emotional Issues and Support

Having an atherosclerosis-related disease may cause fear, anxiety, depression, and stress. Talk about how you feel with your doctor. Talking to a professional counselor also can help. If you’re very depressed, your doctor may recommend medicines or other treatments that can improve your quality of life.

Community resources are available to help you learn more about atherosclerosis. Contact your local public health departments, hospitals, and local chapters of national health organizations to learn more about available resources in your area.

Talk about your lifestyle changes with your family and friends—whoever can provide support or needs to understand why you’re changing your habits.

Family and friends may be able to help you make lifestyle changes. For example, they can help you plan healthier meals. Because atherosclerosis tends to run in families, your lifestyle changes may help many of your family members too.

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