The Miracle of Reversing Heart Disease

If you have been told that you have heart disease, a blockage in the coronary arteries, there is one thing we know for sure: you are frightened. This is the obvious response that most patients have when they realize that they may never look at their health and lifestyle the same way again. The secondary response is often to do something drastic, a trendy diet or expensive program that offers a miracle cure for heart disease. We want you to know the truth.

The truth is, heart disease took some time to develop. Much of the cause may lie in lifestyle habits, including smoking and food choices. Still, other factors lie beyond your control.

You cannot change your genetic makeup, but you can do a few things to mitigate the chaos in the arteries of your heart:

Stop looking for a miracle cure. The main goal in treating heart disease is first to stabilize the condition in the most appropriate manner.
Take responsibility for factors within your control. There are obvious factors that need to be resolved, including smoking, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. Your doctor will discuss a plan of care that includes medications as well as lifestyle modifications such as starting to exercise if you do not currently exercise.
Do not dismiss the value of medications. Programs and, in some cases, books about reversing heart disease describe medication in an unflattering light. A well-rounded heart-health program may require medications. Target goals will also be set and, when they are met, medication use will be revisited. Remember, the goal is not to get off of heart medications; it is to have a healthy, functioning heart.
Find a diet that is healthy and appealing to you. One of the steps that many heart disease patients may take is to improve their diet. There is value in this, but the vast extent of information that is available can make dietary changes a huge undertaking. If you become overwhelmed by the contradictory information from one book to another, you may feel paralyzed to make the changes that are needed. A good rule of thumb is that fresh fruits and vegetables are healthier than processed foods and refined sugar.

Of all the advice you may hear as you navigate the management of heart disease, take this one to heart: there is hope. The treatment options that are available today have been carefully developed and have helped hundreds of thousands of people live long and strong.