Arteries can't fully "unblock" themselves from existing plaque, but you can significantly shrink and stabilize plaque with lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, no smoking) and medications (like statins) to prevent worsening blockages, improve blood flow, and reduce heart attack/stroke risk. While plaque regression is possible, especially with statins, it's not a complete "melt away" process; the goal is stabilization, managing risk factors, and sometimes medical procedures (angioplasty, bypass) for severe cases.
While it is not possible to unblock clogged arteries, there are ways to slow the development of plaques, widen the arteries and reduce the chances of a heart attack or stroke.
Chest pain, or angina, is one of the most common early signs of a blocked artery. It's also one of the most well-known symptoms of a heart attack, which can make it difficult to know if chest pain is an emergency.
Follow-up invasive angiograms to check if a SCAD has healed are not recommended for SCAD patients as there is a small risk of causing dissections with the catheters used during these procedures. However, recent studies show that virtually all SCADs heal by themselves between three and six months after the SCAD event.
Skali emphasizes that regular exercise isn't just for those who are looking to prevent heart problems. It can help people whose heart muscle is already damaged. Although exercise can't clear existing plaque from clogged arteries, it can help prevent further accumulation.
Signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction include:
You may have no symptoms of coronary artery disease for a long time. Plaque buildup takes many years, even decades. But as your arteries narrow, you may notice mild symptoms.
The bottom line: While atherosclerosis may not be fully reversible, proactive lifestyle changes and dietary modifications can effectively manage coronary artery disease — reducing the risk of further plaque deposition and promoting overall heart health.
Symptoms of coronary artery disease happen when the heart doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood. Coronary artery disease symptoms may include: Chest pain, called angina. You may feel squeezing, pressure, heaviness, tightness or pain in the chest.
Sometimes referred to as hardened, blocked or clogged arteries, atherosclerosis can be a complex condition. But the good news is that atherosclerosis is highly treatable when diagnosed early. Atherosclerosis symptoms can begin as early as childhood and usually progress more rapidly between ages 40 and 50.
While you can't confirm a blockage yourself, these steps can help you stay proactive:
Among foods that contribute to clogged arteries are:
Lifestyle and home remedies
When the artery eventually becomes completely blocked, the heart may supply that area through collaterals, which are branches of other arteries that supply the area. While a person can live with a chronic total occlusion, the most significant negative impact is on a person's quality of life.
KNUTSEN: “Both men and women who drank five or more glasses of water per day had about half the risk of dying of coronary heart disease.” KELIKANI: And that's the simple tip for the day. DR. REEVES: Drink at least five glasses of water every day to lower your risk for heart disease.
Regular physical activity—at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week—is vital, along with maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, managing stress, limiting alcohol consumption, improving sleep quality, controlling blood pressure, monitoring cholesterol, and staying well-hydrated.
Nearly half of all Americans have one of the three major risk factors for coronary artery disease: smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. High blood pressure is often called “the silent killer” because you may have it without experiencing any symptoms.
Exercise can repair vessel damage
Just as we saw more fatty streaks in sedentary kids, studies also show that stiffer arteries are more common in nine-year-olds who have low fitness. The good news is that you can reverse damage and start to repair your blood vessels, one workout at a time.
Making plaque disappear is not possible, but with lifestyle changes and medication they can shrink and stabilize. Doctors especially want to target the softer plaques before they rupture.
Symptoms
If there's too much cholesterol in the blood, the cholesterol and other substances may form deposits called plaque. Plaque can cause an artery to become narrowed or blocked. If a plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form. Plaque and blood clots can reduce blood flow through an artery.
The symptoms of an artery blockage include chest pain and tightness, and shortness of breath. Imagine driving through a tunnel.
Most of the time, complete blockages require a stay in the hospital and possibly surgery. But if your bowel is only partly blocked, your doctor may tell you to wait until it clears on its own and you are able to pass gas and stool. If so, there are things you can do at home to help make you feel better.
Coronary arteries with severe blockages, up to 99%, can often be treated with traditional stenting procedure. Once an artery becomes 100% blocked, it is considered a coronary chronic total occlusion, or CTO. Specialized equipment, techniques and physician training are required to open the artery with a stent.