Nutritional Atherosclerosis Control - Complement Angioplasty, Reduce Restenosis Angioplasty often is the first choice of treatment for people with clogged arteries of the heart or legs, because it is relatively less invasive. Angioplasty, a procedure where doctors thread a needle through the blood vessels and implant a tiny flexible mesh tube to prop open narrowed or clogged arteries, is performed on about 2 million people worldwide every year (over one million in the United States alone). In standard angioplasty, the physician makes a quarter-inch incision in the groin artery and advances a tiny tube, or catheter, through the artery to the site of the blockage, whether in the heart or legs. A small balloon at the end of the catheter is then filled with saline, and, as the balloon expands, the walls of the clogged artery are compressed, opening up the vessel for better blood flow. Increasingly, tiny metal mesh cylinders called stents are placed in the blood vessels to keep them propped open. Typically, the patient undergoes conscious sedation before the procedure. The Achilles’ Heel - Restenosis Angioplasty is far less invasive than bypass surgery in treating clogged arteries - but half of the time, the blood vessels... reclog. Reclogging is the Achilles’ heel of the standard non-surgical therapy to open up blocked heart and leg arteries. In effect, standard angioplasty traumatizes the vessel wall; in response, the damaged cells try to heal and regenerate, forming scar tissue that reclogs the artery, a process known as restenosis (Re"sten-O'sis), or re-narrowing. Six (6) to nine (9) months after treatment, restenosis rates approach 50 to 60 percent in the leg arteries and 20 to 30 percent in the heart arteries. When that happens, angioplasty is often repeated or bypass surgery is performed. Restenosis rates have been reduced somewhat by the use of stents. Other possible solutions to restenosis include drug-coated stents or radiation (intravascular brachytherapy). However, there are potential risks associated with radiation treatment. Also repeat procedures typically carry a higher risk of complications. Therefore, a new form of angioplasty, called cryoplasty, has been investigated. It freezes the insides of blocked heart and leg arteries using nitrous oxide, known as "laughing gas." Cryoplasty seems to be much gentler on the arteries and doesn't appear to cause the scarring and reclogging (restenosis) that standard angioplasty can. In some patients treated with cryoplasty, there was no evidence of reblockage after six (6) to nine (9) months. However, both angioplasty and cryoplasty do nothing to stop the progression of arterial disease, so in time, new fatty narrowings or blockages occur in the arteries! A Partial Fix Without doubt, balloon angioplasty does not alter the natural history of atherosclerosis which, in many instances, is progressive. For this reason, doctors tend to treat angioplasty patients with higher doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as lovastatin and cholestyramine, in order to reduce restenosis (reclogging). They advise these patients to lower their LDL-cholesterol levels to... 100mg/dL or even below! (The New England Journal of Medicine, January 16, 1997). Unfortunately, the view that 'the lower the cholesterol, the better' is not always true! At level under 150, you can be at a risk of... too low cholesterol. This condition may cause suboptimal function of such steroid hormones as pregnenolone, DHEA, testosterone, progesterone and estrogen - and result in ... depression and other health problems. Standard medical methods of treating atherosclerosis attempt to remove plaque from plugged arteries. None of them, however, treat the cause of the problem. They focus on reducing the effects of the plaque after it has built up -- not on eliminating the factors which created the buildup in the the first place. Nutritional Approach to Restenosis If, however, you've had a successful angioplasty, then nutritional arterial plaque reduction, accompanied by regular screens for homocysteine and ferritin (iron storage), could be the finest route to prevent restenosis - and the safest way to avoid going back into the hospital and coming out only partially fixed again... In our clinical experience, in those who have undergone the balloon angioplasty treatment, the nutritional measures accompanied by necessary dietary and lifestyle changes can significantly prevent, reduce and/or delay restenosis - reclogging of the arteries way beyond nine (9) months, and, therefore, by-pass the need for another "revascularization" - angioplasty or bypass surgery. Arterial Cleansing Formula© Arterial Cleansing Formula helps boost the body chemistry by helping the cells to receive more vital nutrients - nourishment needed for their optimal function (and survival), and undergo the ongoing process of detoxification - an essential factor in preventing and fighting all health problems. All naturall substances (nutrients) in the Formula - not drugs whose substances are foreign to the body - are able to boost the body chemistry by: correcting possible deficiencies and/or imbalances, and providing optimum conditions for the proper functioning of the body's own intrinsic ability to heal itself. This is especially important for those, who have a family history of diabetes, heart disease or stroke due to atherosclerosis. Read more... Eating Plan For Arterial Health As atherosclerosis, to a great extent, is intimately related to what you eat, your diet has a strong impact on the formation of plaque in arteries. Therefore, your food choices should be given serious consideration. Making serious efforts to trade your eating habits for healthy arteries and a healthy old age, can give your heart and cardiovascular system a longer, healthier life. Read more... Gentle Exercise For Arterial Health There is strong evidence that exercise and stress reduction - if done regularly - are both protective of the cardiovascular system and supportive of the immune processes. For adults, atherosclerosis is almost always a sign of not enough exercise. Read more... Questions? Concerns? Call 1. 877. 786. 8458 Subscribe to $FREE 'ArterialHealth e-News' Request $FREE e-Pamphlet 'Bypass the Bypass' Order your Arterial Cleansing Formula TODAY! back to web version www.full-health.com © 1998-2004 Atherosclerosis Controlled Nutritionally At 50+. Arterial Cleansing Formula - Reverse Atherosclerosis Without Drugs or Surgery. All rights reserved worldwide. This document may not be copied in part or full without express written permission from the publisher. The information on atherosclerosis and nutrition provided herein is a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone, therefore, it should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. While reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information on atherosclerosis, Full-Health.com assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from use of the information herein.