Exercise????

[Bazza1234]

For those of us with atherosclerosis ( hardening/calcification) of heart arteries, exercise is often/always? proscribed as part of the treatment along with things like diet, non-smoking, statins, etc. . But nowhere can I find any information to say why exercise is good for this condition nor how the exercise assists the situation. It is common sense to me at least that improved/increased blood flow and oxygen is good for our entire system - but I am wondering how so and why so specifically for the hardened arteries???

[Kristin1812 Heart Star]

My understanding is that it doesn’t improve hardened arteries, but does build up small capillaries which gives alternative flow to the major (sometimes narrowed) vessels.

[Bazza1234 in reply to Kristin1812]

I have been running 4 times per week for the last 6 years - I was accidently (no symptoms) found to have calcification of my heart arteries about 4 years ago , had a EKG stress test which showed no significant blockages - easily ran my stress test out to 80% of my maximum heart rate . Have run ever since , including a recent long 6 hour+ marathon and even today did some "sprints" which took me to 95% of my max HR. I am now 72yo. I have read that cardio vascular exercise does "grow" capillaries in regard to supplying blood and oxygen to major muscle groups when running - and have never had any inkling of a problem with my main heart arteries (except for a CAT scan which does show that I do have moderate calcification) - have got my cholesterol numbers down to what the cardiologists wants to see. Am also advised that the calcification cannot be reduced but can be stopped from growing with diet, statins and exercise.

[Chappychap]

I agree with Kristin.

In addition, atherosclerosis is a progressive (and incurable) disease. So unless you do something different then your condition will only get worse. You might argue that medication counts as doing "something different", that's possible but personally I wouldn't want to trust my life to the efficacy of a few pills. So for me exercise, diet, and other life style changes are a critical part of my care regime.

Finally, it's worth asking what is the root cause of your atherosclerosis? Different people may well have different answers, in my case it's probably insulin resistance. That's a condition that can be reversed, and exercise is a key element in doing so. So, for me (and I suspect many other people with heart disease), exercise is a fundamental part of tackling the root, underlying cause of their atherosclerosis.

Good luck!

[Bazza1234 in reply to Chappychap]

I think I have the exercise aspect fully covered !! The diet aspect is also fully covered ( and I was not really wanting to discuss that aspect - just was interested to find out more about what exercise actually does for atherosclerosis , as it is always included as part of the treatment). For example , does exercise improve artery flexibility ( those parts without calcification) ??? Atherosclerosis is also age dependent - a 40YO with my level of calcium (my age 72) would be considered to be at severe risk whereas at my age the risk is considered "moderate"

[Sillyfroggy in reply to Bazza1234]

Exercise contributes to a healthy weight which in turn means your heart isn’t as chubby! It also builds strength in the heart too (it’s a muscle the same as a bicep is a muscle). It improves how your body uses oxygen which is a benefit for not just the heart. I also think your level of fitness contributes to how your body copes IF another heart attack happens (once the plaque is on the arteries it is always a risk). My heart had grown a completely new vessel out of the RCA and it was down to 20 years of the RAF making me stay fit!

It’s good for your MH too.

[dunestar]

My understanding is that the stiffening can be caused because the heart is always in a steady state. If you do exercise everything has to flex which helps to ward off further stiffening.

[Jessie1234]

Thanks for a very interesting discussion