6 Amazing Tips to Prevent Abdominal Aortic Atherosclerosis

ByNicolas Rito

Overview

Abdominal aortic atherosclerosis is a severe and life-threatening disease. If you have this condition, you need to make significant lifestyle changes. These small steps will help to prevent further health complications. Here in this blog, we will discuss the most effective prevention tips to help prevent abdominal aortic atherosclerosis.

Summary

  • Abdominal aortic atherosclerosis is a condition that narrows and hardens the arteries. It may lead to serious health issues, including heart attacks, strokes, and aneurysms.
  • Build-up of cholesterol, fats, and calcium inside arteries are among the most common reasons for this disease.
  • The doctors use non-invasive and other relevant tests for diagnosing the arterial problem.
  • To reduce the risk of developing this condition, doctors recommend adding fruits and vegetables to your diet. Lean white meats, whole grains, and protein-rich foods are also good sources of proteins.
  • If the situation gets worse, get surgery to remove blockage or blood clots from an artery.

What Is Abdominal Aortic Atherosclerosis?

Abdominal aortic atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular condition responsible for the narrowing and hardening of arteries. Atherosclerosis occurs due to plaque build-up. It is a more common problem in people of middle-age and is associated with aging. This condition occurs because of the build-up of cholesterols, fats, and calcium inside arterial walls.

Atherosclerosis may appear in any artery of your body, resulting in the deficiency of blood and oxygen in several tissues of the human body. It causes blood clotting that ultimately reduces the blood flow to your heart and brain. If not treated timely, it may lead to several health complications, including heart attacks, strokes, and aneurysms. Fortunately, you can follow many simple lifestyle tips to prevent this condition from developing in the first place.

What Can You Do to Prevent Abdominal Aortic Atherosclerosis?

Heart attacks and other health complications related to this condition are life-threatening. You must take some preventive measures to reduce the risk of occurrence of this disease. Some of the most effective prevention tips for abdominal aortic atherosclerosis include:

1. Regular Medical Check-Ups

Early diagnosis of atherosclerosis may help to prevent the development of further complications. We highly recommend you to visit a doctor at least once a year for a physical examination if you are aged 40 or above. Doctors will run a diagnosis to identify any possible symptoms associated with this condition.

Your healthcare provider will recommend several relevant tests to diagnose the disease. They usually perform simple non-invasive screenings for determining arterial problems. These techniques help to diagnose the disease before severe issues arise.
The doctor will then suggest a suitable treatment option after analyzing the severity of your condition.

2. Exercise

Exercise is a crucial factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Physical activities play a significant role in helping your muscles to use oxygen effectively. This along with multiple benefits also improves blood circulation. It can also retain the level of blood pressure, which is considered a key risk factor for the development of abdominal aortic atherosclerosis.

3. Quit Smoking

Studies prove that smoking cigarettes damage the blood vessels significantly. It increases the risk of developing various health complications such as cardiovascular diseases.

Cigarettes contain several toxic chemicals that enter your bloodstream and cause abdominal aortic atherosclerosis. Hence along with numerous other health issues, smokers are at high risk of developing this disease.

4. Eat A Healthy Diet

One of the most critical and practical prevention tips is maintaining a healthy diet.
Abdominal aortic atherosclerosis develops as a result of fats and cholesterol in the arteries. Avoiding saturated fats and cholesterol will decrease the chances of developing this condition.

To minimize the risk, doctors recommend eating a diet that contains:

  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Lean white meats
  • Whole grains
  • Nuts and legumes
  • Low-fat dairy products
  • Non-tropical vegetable oils
  • Protein-rich foods

5. Lose Excess Weight

Fat that develops around the waistline weakens the lining of the arteries.
People who are overweight should consider losing weight to prevent abdominal aortic atherosclerosis. To lose weight, you should:

  • Participating in strenuous aerobic exercises
  • Eat food derived from plants instead of animal products

6. Medications

Doctors recommend several medications for reducing the risk factor of abdominal aortic atherosclerosis.
Beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors help to protect the arteries.
We also suggest antiplatelet medicines to prevent blockages due to blood clotting in the arteries.
You should never alter the dosage of any medications for abdominal aortic atherosclerosis prescribed by your doctor. DO NOT increase or decrease the dose without discussing it with your doctor.

What If Medication and Other Preventive Tips Don’t Work?

In some cases, the plaque build-up in the arteries creates severe problems. In such cases, when the medication therapy and other treatments fail to provide you relief, the last option is surgery.
A surgeon will remove blockage or blood clots from an artery or redirect blood flow around the affected artery.