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can lifestyle reverse artery disease?
Heart disease mortality rates have begun to decline, as many of us have heeded advice to cultivate heart-healthy habits. In the 1960s researchers discovered that the American way of life can be hazardous to one's health. Cigarette smoking, a diet overloaded with fat and calories, too little physical activity and too much stress continue to contribute to the development of many chronic diseases. The leading killer is heart disease.
More recently, scientists have found that lifestyle change, sometimes combined with drug therapy, can also reverse arterial damage, even in people with advanced heart disease. The two factors that appear to be most important in reversing artery disease are lowering blood cholesterol levels and increasing physical activity. My husband is recovering from a recent heart attack. We've both read the books on reversing heart disease, but he just can't stick to that very-low-fat diet. Your husband is not alone. Some medical researchers recommend diets that are extremely low in fat and cholesterol. They take some getting used to, especially if low-fat cooking (and eating) is new to your family. Many nutritionists recommend a more moderate approach that is easier to stick to, such as less than 20 percent of calories from fat, versus less than 10 percent. Any reduction in fat intake appears to be helpful in reducing blood lipid levels, so even if you are not "perfect," you are probably still making changes that can reduce your husband's risk of future heart attack. |
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Nutritionists often suggest making a few small
changes at a time, so that dietary change is easier to tolerate.
This works for some people, but not for others. Sometimes you must
take a giant step forward and make several changes in the way you
shop, plan meals, prepare food and select food when eating out. You
even have to change the way you think about food. Perhaps this is
one of the reasons support groups for people undergoing substantial
lifestyle change are helpful. Eating a very-low-fat diet is like
swimming upstream if you live in North America. Regular physical
activity can help you think positive and manage the stress of
dietary change. The doctor has me exercising an hour a day, since I need to lose weight and lower my blood pressure. But recently I read that 30 minutes a day is enough. In the long run, on the average, the greatest improvement in the health of North Americans would come from getting people who are doing nothing to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Thirty minutes of daily physical activity substantially reduces risk of chronic disease. You, however, are in another category. Individual recommendations are always more meaningful than general guidelines. Your doctor is right. When it comes to controlling heart disease and its risk factors, more exercise is better. Of course, you will want to check in regularly with your doctor, build up very gradually, and not overdo it |
I have type II diabetes but I am not at all overweight. I don't
think I need to exercise because I certainly don't want to lose
weight.
Exercise has many wonderful health effects, especially for people
with type II diabetes, since it improves blood sugar regulation. But
you can't bank your mileage. Exercise must be frequent and regular,
because the effects on blood sugar regulation wear off in a few
days. Remember that type II diabetes increases your risk for artery
disease, and exercise can help you slow or even reverse artery
damage.
Physical activity does not necessarily cause weight loss either.
Exercise may even improve a poor appetite. You will probably need to
eat some extra calories to make up for the energy lost during
activity. Try adding a few healthful snacks during the day -- a
banana in the morning and a cup of low-fat yogurt in the afternoon
will add back the calories lost on your morning walk.
Barbara A. Brehm, Ed.D., is professor of exercise and sport studies at Smith College, Northampton, Mass.
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Many people enjoy vigorous exercise but it needs to be noted that the amount and intensity of exercise required to produce stress-management benefits does not need to be overwhelming.
Body composition is calculated according to a ratio known as percentage of body fat; another measure is the strength to weight ratio.