Has anyone experienced a reduction of heart scarring?

[YogaAtHeart]

I have a lot of scarring on my heart and to be honest it really scares me, it’s the primary reason I was told to have an ICD fitted. I’m quite young and I eat healthy so I’ve been looking in to ways to reduce heart scarring.

Some people say it’s possible and others say it’s not, I will still try but I wanted to ask if anyone has actually achieved this even a little bit?

I also came across the Ornish diet, it’s said to help heal the heart, has anyone else heard of this?

Thanks!

[ChoochSiesta]

I believe the scarring is permanent. However, you can strengthen the heart overall with exercise. The heart is a muscle. Others on here will know better than me.

[pasigal in reply to ChoochSiesta]

This is what I have been repeatedly told. I've had a number of MRIs with contrast and each time, the scar tissue on my heart is readily apparent. But my ejection fraction has rebounded to the normal range, and my cardiologists tell me that's much more important. If you need an ICD, by all means, take it! I wore an external defib for 4 months after cardiac arrest and finally it was determined that I wasn't a good candidate for an ICD, somewhat to my disappointment.

[SpiritoftheFloyd]

Scarring is the result of heart tissue being deprived of oxygen, and cannot be reversed as that heart muscle has in effect died, so there is no way that scare tissue can be reduced.As regards the Ornish diet, the American Heart Association (US equivalent of BHF) and the US Dept of Health do not recommend this diet. He has however made a pretty good living promoting his diet over the years. It is, like most diets, a fad diet which would be very hard to stick with, you're better off trying a Mediterranean Diet, which is the one recommended by the BHF

[Nettekin]

Hi yoga. A discussion on the forum earlier raised by Prada47 and links from Milkfairy may be of some interest to you.

[Hidden]

Dear YogaAtHeart

Alas I have been told that my heart scaring is permanent and that there is no ŵay to improve it.

Having said that and along with other answers to you, the heart is a muscle that like all our muscles can be improved by exercise.

Now looking at your forum name I presume that you are a yoga follower, you could probably tell us the best exercises for the heart.

You know already that the Ornish diet is a fad and I find it strange that no health body backs it up.

Looking forward to you posting about yoga exercises that could help us and to hear of your continuing journey.

As for the ICD only you and your consultant knows the answer to that, but there are many on here that have had them fitted.

I am like you waiting on if I need an ICD .

My AF has stopped and in general I feel fitter than I did when it was first mentioned, I have more scans to be done then another meeting with the consultant, if it’s decided that a ICD would benefit my health { surly the only reason they would do it } then I will have it done.

But that is me and I really do understand your worries over it, as you say you are young , but believe me Heart failure affects all ages.

I found strength in knowledge and have found out all about ICD, how they work, how there fitted and all the complications and benefits that they hold.

I realise that studying the subject this way does not suit us all, but then that’s what makes us the unique individuals that we are.

Stay safe and well

[Prada47]

Hello

I believe that scarring can't be reversed at the present time, but the future 5 years + looks good !! After an MRI (stress) I was told the % of my heart that could be reversed with intervention and the part that couldn't, 16 % I think was the couldn't, but would need to look through Cardiology letters to confirm.

It is a complicated process getting the Perfusion of Blood in the Heart Muscle, and is obtained by different methods some intervention and some by imaging. I am back next week for an MRI to see what is going on and why breathing is a little more laboured !! so I will post then what has been found.

regards