Treatment:

To help prevent hardening of the arteries, make the following lifestyle changes:

• Avoid fatty foods. Eat well-balanced meals that are low in fat and cholesterol. Include several daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Adding fish to your diet at least twice a week may be helpful. However, do not eat fried fish.
• Limit how much alcohol you drink -- one drink a day for women, two a day for men.
• Exercise for 30 minutes a day if you are not overweight, and for 60 - 90 minutes a day if you are overweight.

Quit smoking -- this is the single most important change you can make to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Get your blood pressure checked every 1 - 2 years before age 50 and yearly after age 50. Have your blood pressure checked more often if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, or you have had a stroke. Talk to your doctor about how often you should have your blood pressure checked.

If your blood pressure is high, it is important for you to lower it and keep it under control.

• Everyone should keep their blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg
• If you have diabetes, kidney disease, or have had a stroke or heart attack, your blood pressure should probably be less than 130/80 mm/Hg. Ask your doctor what your blood pressure should be.

Your doctor may want you to take medicine for high cholesterol levels if lifestyle changes do not work. This will depend on:

• Your age
• Whether you have heart disease or other blood flow problems
• Whether you smoke or are overweight
• Whether you have high blood pressure or diabetes

Your doctor may suggest taking aspirin or another drug called clopidogrel (Plavix) to help prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries. These medicines are called antiplatelet drugs. DO NOT take aspirin without first talking to your doctor.

Expectations (prognosis):

Hardening of the arteries cannot be reversed or turned back once it has occurred. However, lifestyle changes and treating high cholesterol levels can prevent or slow the process from becoming worse.

Complications:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Coronary artery disease
• Kidney disease
• Mesenteric artery ischemia
• Peripheral artery disease
• Renal artery stenosis
• Stroke

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you are at risk for atherosclerosis, especially if you have symptoms.

Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise plan, especially if you have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease or you have ever had a heart attack.