Is it possible plaque stop growing ?

[Edsonmontibeller]

Is it possible a plaque stop growing ?

Has anyone here who has made angio scan, and a years later is it the same ?

[Chappychap]

The advice of both the British Heart Foundation (who sponsor this forum) and the NHS is crystal clear, it is not possible to reverse or remove the plaque you already have from atherosclerosis.

Having said that there are a few more hopeful points.

Even though atherosclerosis (Coronary Heart Disease) is incurable, it is possible to slow its progress to a crawl via life style and medication.

Furthermore, there are one or two credible experts who claim that life style and medication can actually reduce calcium build up as measured by carotid artery scans. However, the problem with this is that even if it were to be substantiated in large scale tests (which so far it hasn't) there's a big difference between calcium in your neck artery and plaque in your heart arteries.

Finally, I believe the BHF is sponsoring research into a new drug which they hope might be the miracle cure we're all hoping for, namely a drug that can reverse plaque build up in the heart. However, it's still in the very early stages, so even if successful (and that's a big "if") it would be a benefit for our children rather than for our generation.

[Edsonmontibeller in reply to Chappychap]

I did read about it, vitamin K2, magnesium, statin , if it were true, would reducing calcification in artery be good ou bad ? My cholesterol is 0,80 and CPR is 0,16 very low I have to check my homocysteine

[emjay18 in reply to Edsonmontibeller]

3 and a half years ago I had a belly tumour. I was given a heart scan to check I was fit to operate on for the tumour. The heart scan returned calcium score of 1829 ! So I was given a triple bypass before the tumour op. Since then I have taken Vit k2 and had a fairly controlled diet. I want to know what this has done to me and my calcium score but I was told that I could not have (even privately) another heart scan after a bypass operation. Was this correct - I dont know, but have felt fine for the last two and a half years ( once the tumour op had healed up ). I am nearly 80 and cycle a couple of miles nearly every day.

[tunybgur]

I hate to mention it as it is rather an emotive subject, but statins are supposed to stabilise existing plaques and slow their progression.....

Standing back now....metaphorically of course....

[fergusthegreat]

Several statin trials have shown a reduction in coronary stenosis by reducing the fatty content of the plaque.However, this stabilising effect increases the calcium score which worries some people but not me.

I'd rather have more stable plaque.