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Treating Coronary Artery Disease: Lifestyle Changes,
Treating Coronary Artery Disease: Lifestyle Changes, Medications, Stents and SurgeryCoronary artery disease is the most common cause of heart attacks.Your heart is a muscle. Like any other muscle, it relies on a steady supply of oxygen-rich blood to workproperly.The coronary arteries are small vessels that carry blood to the heart so it can continue to do its job.In coronary artery disease, these small arteries gradually become blocked with plaque that narrows the vesseland makes it harder for blood to flow.There are many reasons this can happen, including a family history of heart disease, race, age, gender, highcholesterol and a poor diet, high blood pressure, smoking, physical inactivity, obesity and being overweight,and diabetes.While you can’t control every risk factor for coronary artery disease, there are things you can do to lower yourrisk of a heart attack.The first is by living a healthy lifestyle that includes no smoking, weight control, physical activity and a hearthealthy diet.A heart-healthy diet includes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, poultry,fish, legumes, non-tropical vegetable oils, and nuts.And it limits red meat, sweets, sugary beverages, sodium, and prepackaged or highly processed foods.It also means getting at least 40 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity 3 to 4 times perweek. This can be as simple as taking a brisk walk, going for a bike ride, swimming, or using a treadmill. Themost important thing is to get your heart rate up.The next line of defense is medication.If you have high cholesterol, your healthcare provider might prescribe medications such as statins.These medications can help lower your levels of bad cholesterol and your risk of a heart attack.Make sure to take any medication as directed.In more serious cases, a healthcare provider might recommend placement of a stent.Page 1 ofMedications, Stents and Surgery“Our goal is to open up the artery as quickly as possible to allow the blood and the nutrients to reachthe heart muscle.”A stent is a tiny wire mesh tube that is placed into the blocked coronary artery.During the procedure, your healthcare provider will gain access to your blood vessels through a tiny surgicalcut in your wrist or leg, then thread a long thin tube called a catheter into your heart.The stent is carried on the catheter.Once it’s in place, the stent’s job is to keep your artery open and the blood flowing.In some cases, your healthcare provider might recommend coronary artery bypass graft surgery.During the procedure, the surgeon will cut through the chest bone or wall to gain access to the heart. They willthen use blood vessels from another part of your body to “bypass” the blocked part of the coronary artery.Recovery from this surgery takes several weeks or months.Sometimes healthcare providers may be able to use other minimally invasive bypass procedures and recoverytime may be less.Coronary artery disease affects millions of adults.Living a healthy lifestyle that includes a heart-healthy diet, weight control and getting plenty of physicalactivity can play a big role in avoiding coronary artery disease and reducing your risk of a heart attack.Page 2 ofThis program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.© The Wellness Network
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Heart & Vascular Center
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