Can Heart Disease be Reversed?
In Canada, heart disease accounts for 27% of deaths, about 66,000 annually. Reduce the chance of cardiovascular disease and increase life expectancy by eating healthy, exercising, and taking care of your body, and leave bad habits like smoking and abundant alcohol consumption in the past. Heart disease can not only be prevented but also reduced by healthy choices and healthy behaviours.
Also referred to as cardiovascular disease, heart disease is any condition that affects the function or structure of the heart. ‘Heart disease’ is many conditions with many different causes, and there are many different types. The types can be categorized based on how they affect the function or structure of the heart, including:
- coronary artery and vascular disease
- heart rhythm disorder
- structural heart disease
- heart failure
Can heart disease be reversed?
Yes, you can reverse coronary artery disease by making lifestyle changes. Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease and it is the blockage or narrowing of the arteries in the heart, which blocks oxygenated blood from reaching the heart. This type of heart disease can be reversed by making healthier life choices that decrease the plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart and reduce or reverse heart disease.
90% of Canadians have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, with high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol being the two most prominent risk factors. While there are risk factors such as age, gender, family history, and medical history that you cannot control, here are a few factors that you can control and change to live a healthier life:
- Eating a healthy diet. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables daily. Up to 80% of premature heart disease can be prevented through good lifestyle habits, such as healthy eating. Learn more about healthy diets here.
- Exercise daily. It is encouraged that you get 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, which breaks down to about 20 minutes a day. Read this article to learn how much physical activity you need.
- Be tobacco free. This benefits the health of both you and those around you. Read more about how tobacco causes heart disease here.
- Consume less alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure, so it is important to always drink in moderation.
- Manage and reduce stress. Almost 25% of Canadians live with a high degree of stress. It is important to recognize and manage it, so it does not affect your heart health. Here are some ways to recognize, manage, and reduce stress.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Almost 60% of Canadian adults are overweight and while weight loss can be a challenging goal, it is important to be patient with it. Learn more about healthy weights and waists here.
Natural reversal of blocked arteries is a long process and results vary between people. However, making long term changes to your diet and lifestyle (eating healthy food and exercising daily) can positively impact your blood pressure and cholesterol levels within a few months. And, you can lower your cholesterol levels by up to 20% with healthy eating and lifestyle changes alone.
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiac Rehabilitation is another medically supervised method to reduce, reverse, stabilize, and recover from heart disease and cardiac events. The goal of cardiac rehabilitation is to improve the quality of life for the individual through exercise, education, symptom management, counseling, and treatment. Through a guided program, an individual is guided to live with and manage heart disease while returning to a more active lifestyle, and it is available to many individuals with different types of heart disease. The benefits of cardiac rehabilitation include lower hospitality and mortality rates, lower symptoms of heart disease, improved health, and many more. Having a health professional to guide you personally will help you stay on track and live a healthier life.
With the advancements of modern medicine, medications, and research, surviving with heart disease and the life expectancy has increased. While it is essential to know if you have uncontrollable risk factors, taking control of other aspects of your life can help prevent or reverse the damage done in previous years. It is never too late to change your lifestyle for the better, it will only help your health.