Reverse..

 

According to Dr. Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine at McMaster and chief scientist and cardiologist at Hamilton Health Sciences, if coronary artery disease is caught early enough, it can be reversed—that is, the heart can be brought back into a healthy, functioning state.

Quitting smoking cigarettes or not beginning if you don’t smoke already is one of the best ways to both prevent and reverse heart disease. Smoking increases plaque in our arteries, leading to atherosclerosis, while the chemicals in cigarettes cause the blood to thicken and create clots, which can lead to strokes.  

Exercise, even small things, like incorporating daily walks into your routine or climbing up a few flights of stairs can make a real difference. That’s because physical activity can help to lower blood pressure, increase healthy types of cholesterol, and improves your muscles’ ability to take oxygen from blood, which reduces the need for your heart to pump as hard.  

A healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in carbohydrates and highly processed foods can help, too, by improving cholesterol levels, reducing blood pressure and allowing you to maintain a healthy weight.  Just a thought.