find a cardiologist
find a cardiac surgeon

Reversing Heart Disease

There are many kinds of heart disease. Sometimes damage to the heart can be reversed with treatment. Sometimes the problems that led to the damage cannot be reversed.

The most common type of heart disease is blockage of the coronary arteries. These blood vessels provide nourishment to the heart muscle. If they are blocked, the heart muscle may be injured or die. If the heart muscle dies, this is called a heart attack. When heart muscle dies, it will form a scar. Scars cannot be reversed.

Even if scars of the heart muscle cannot be changed, blockage of the coronary arteries can be changed. Persons who have had a heart attack can decrease their chances of a second heart attack by:

• lowering cholesterol and fats in the diet
• exercising
• stopping smoking and
• taking medicine, if necessary, to lower cholesterol levels in the blood
• avoiding obesity
• avoiding high blood pressure

There is also evidence that a vegetarian diet, with very low levels of cholesterol and fat, can actually reverse disease in the coronary arteries. This type of diet is sometimes recommended to persons who have had a heart attack.

There are other treatments for coronary artery disease. These include surgery to bypass or open blockages. These treatments reverse the immediate heart problem, but they do not change the causes of the problem. To change the causes of coronary artery disease, the amount of fats and cholesterol in the blood must be lowered.

Heart disease can also be caused by infection, damage to the heart valves, drugs, and birth problems. If the heart muscle has not died, some of the damage caused by these problems can be reversed. For example, a damaged heart valve can put a great deal of strain on the heart muscle. If the valve is repaired by surgery, the heart muscle can return to almost normal in some cases. If medications damage the heart, sometimes the damage will be reversed if the medication is stopped.

For more information, speak with your health care provider. If your health care provider would like to refer you to a cardiologist, ask for a referral to a Saint Vincent Heart Center cardiac specialist. Information is also available by contacting your local chapter of the American Heart Association or call the national office at (800) 242-8721 or visit their website at www.americanheart.org.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. HIL File CARD4291.RF2 VRS# 6101 Data Version 7.0
Copyright 1999, 2002
McKesson Health Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.