The carotid arteries perform a very important job -- they deliver oxygenated blood to your brain. When you have carotid artery disease, the blood flow to your brain is compromised. The carotid arteries run on each side of your neck, stemming from the heart and traveling up to the brain. You may not even know that you have carotid artery disease, as there are no apparent symptoms. If you have been diagnosed with carotid artery disease, you should immediately change your lifestyle to help improve your prognosis. Left untreated, a blocked carotid artery can result in a stroke or transient ischemic attack.
Other Factors
Carotid artery disease is almost always accompanied by high cholesterol and high blood pressure, or hypertension. It begins in the same way that any blocked artery starts -- the artery becomes clogged and plaque becomes calcified, narrowing the artery and limiting blood flow through it. When you have high blood pressure and a blocked artery, your blood flow becomes more turbulent, which can dislodge the clot, leading to a stroke. With high cholesterol, the cholesterol in your blood becomes more likely to stick to the forming clot, making the obstruction larger, which can also result in a stroke. Your lifestyle change should not only be focused on improving your carotid artery disease, but also to improve factors such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which can worsen the disease.
Therapeutic Lifestyle Change
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, a three-way approach -- including diet, exercise and weight loss -- should be used to treat carotid artery disease. Improving your eating habits and increasing physical activity will lead to weight loss. All three of these elements can improve your prognosis.
Diet
Your diet should emphasize limiting high-fat foods. No more than 7 percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fats. Instead, try to eat fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains. Keeping track of your cholesterol and sodium intake can help improve high blood pressure and high cholesterol problems. Aim for eating 200 mg or less of cholesterol and 2,300 mg or less of sodium per day.
Alcohol
Alcohol consists of empty calories that will do little to nothing for your health. Limiting your alcohol intake can help you lose weight and improve carotid artery disease. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute recommends limiting alcohol intake to two drinks per day for a man and one drink per day for a woman.
Exercise
Exercise, especially when combined with a healthy diet, can do wonders for the body. Exercise can help treat and prevent many cardiovascular conditions such as carotid artery disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. For cardiovascular benefits, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends participating in 20 to 30 minutes of exercise per day. If you are normally sedentary, start off at a light intensity and increase as you feel comfortable. Before starting a new exercise program, you should get clearance from your doctor. He can let you know if there are any precautions or restrictions you should be taking because of your particular case.
References
- Mayo Clinic.com: Carotid Artery Disease
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Carotid Artery Disease Treatment
- "ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription"; Mitchell Whaley et al; 2006
