Atherosclerosis

The way you live – eating, drinking and smoking – can fill your arteries with plaque. Over time, fats in the blood combine with dead cells, tissue and sometimes calcium. Plaque coating the walls of an artery makes it narrow and less elastic. Eventually it can cut off the flow of blood to vital organs such as the brain and the heart.

Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of more deaths than any other condition. Symptoms can include leg pains brought on by walking (intermittent claudication), chest pains (angina pectoris) and stroke-like symptoms (transient ischemic attacks). By the time symptoms develop, options become limited. Lifestyle changes, drugs and moderate exercise can help a little. Major surgery to remove the plaque can be done, but the risks are high. The best way to avoid the dangers of atherosclerosis is to prevent it by changing your lifestyle.

To reduce your risk of atherosclerosis, you should:
✓ Quit smoking
✓ Check blood pressure frequently; control hypertension if it occurs
✓ Avoid or reduce obesity
✓ Avoid saturated fats and keep LDL cholesterol levels low
✓ If you have diabetes, be disciplined in controlling it
✓ Exercise regularly

LABELS:
Normal
Atherosclerotic
Artery narrowed by plaque

Text and illustrations by Kevin T. Boyd

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Acupressure for atherosclerosis sufferers
Here are lists of acupressure points to control Smoking, Blood Pressure, Diabetes and Hunger on PointFinder.org.
If this is your first time, please read the instructions. Don’t use acupressure to replace standard emergency procedures or licensed medical treatment. If you are seriously injured or have acute symptoms seek urgent medical treatment.

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