Why am I so concerned about lowering your cholesterol and preventing blockage or further blockage in your arteries? Because once its there, it is most likely there for good. The vast majority of studies show that there can be no significant reduction of arterial blockage once it has developed. However, it can be stopped in its tracks by following the three healthy lifestyles proposed in the Prescription for Life plan. And that is the goal. Do not let it build up further. Unless you do something to lower your LDL “blood” cholesterol, it will continue to build up.
As an aside, there are some reports of actually decreasing the plaque build up in an arterial wall. I have seen some coronary arteriograms that show such reduction after following a diet similar to that in Prescription for Life, but even more fanatical.
Here’s an example for you to consider. I have a doctor friend who eats poorly. Two years ago he told me he had a 70% blockage in his “widow maker artery,” which is the anterior descending coronary. A few months ago he had some chest pain, and when he went in they found a 99% blockage in another of his arteries. He had to have immediate surgery, where a stent was put into place to restore blood flow through his artery. The point is, if there is confirmed blockage in one artery it is likely developing in others. Another problem with knowing there is blockage in your heart arteries is that there is likely blockage in your brain arteries too.
Concerning what percent blockage is significant, any blockage should be a loud alarm. If your coronaries, or your carotid artery to your brain, or any other blockage is found in any of your arteries ― you don’t want progression of the problem. You better do something about it. You never want to have to say: “if I had only known.”
Prescription for Life is the result of hundreds of hours of research, which is evident by the over one-hundred-fifty sources and medical reports at the end of the book. I continually seek to present a thorough review of the medical literature, written in such a way that is easily understood. It is up to the reader to decide whether they are going to do and to what level.
“Abstract Heart” photo courtesy of sweetcrisis at www.freedigitalphotos.net
