Once an artery is partially blocked by plaque, can diet and exercise reduce this plaque to the point where it?

Question

was when it was normal (unclogged)?

Answer 1

Generally, no! There is one diet that is so stringent that it has been known to suck hardened chloresterol out of arteries, but that's going to depend on how carefully you stay on it, the nature of your liver you unherited, and a lot of other factors,

it's called the "Ornish" diet after the doctor who invented it. He wrote books about it. this is NOT AN EASY DIET and it only works on an existing plaque if you are genetically disposed to being able to manipulate the chloresterol level of your blood, as most people are NOT so disposed.

Answer 2

Well, in theory yes, but practically it's uncommon to see.
By lowering cholesterol intake, loosing weight (if overweight) and excercising, you can reduce your LDL and raise your HDL, which should have the net effect ot decreasing atherosclerotic lesions (like the partial blockages you're talking about) but usually the effect is modest if any at all. We don't do a whole lot better with drugs, once a lesion is there, any reduction will happen very slowly.
That having been said, diet and exercise, alone or with meds, can slow or stop the rate of growth of blockages, and your body is always building new blood vessels (often on an angiogram of someone who has had a chronically occluded coronary artery you will see what we call collaterals, blood vessels that grew to bypass the blocked area and deliver blood past it) and trying to correct for defecits, so anything you can do to give your body more time to adjust will decrease the chance of having a clinically significant event (like a heart attack).
Bottom line, diet and exercise are a vital part of any cholesterol reduction strategy and will definately help, but probably they will do so in a limited way.

Answer 3

No, diet and exercise cannot reduce this plaque, because a plaque that has developed remains there (it is like it's glued to your artery).. the only way it can fully disappear is through surgery.., but diet and exercising will definitely prevent the partially clogged artery from getting any worse.. so stay healthy and active, but have fun!

Answer 4

Eh...well...yes and no. Plaque usually builds up on little rough spots on the inner walls of an artery. Diet and exercise can surely help to not get any more but as for getting rid of an existing one, I don't think so. Keep your cholesterol down by cutting back on animal products, and get lots of soluable fiber, like the kind found in oatmeal. If the plaque is in a large artery, like let's say you carotid, you can have something called a balloon angioplasty, where they run a little balloon into the artery and inflate it. This pushes the plaque flat against the wall but doesn't get rid of it. Or, there is a procedure called an endartectomy where they run a little roto rooter like thing into the artery and clean the junk out. The best advice is to try to stop from getting them in the first place.

Answer 5

The unfortunate answer is no. It will never be back to normal. Diet and excersice are key so that the arteries do not continue to clog. If they do continue to clog a stent my be required.

Answer 6

Definately not, needs medication or surgical intervention then exercise and good dieting in the future will prevent any further problems, it will at least help a little!

Answer 7

NO