Can healthy habits still help when your heart has plaque?
Factors of health in the protection against death and cardiovascular disease among adults with subclinical atherosclerosis
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Low stress burden had a stronger association with reduced mortality than physical activity in some models.
We always hear 'exercise is medicine'—but here, managing stress was just as powerful, if not more, for survival in high-risk adults.
Practical Takeaways
If you have high CAC, focus on 3 things: quit smoking (biggest win), get 150 mins of moderate exercise weekly, and practice daily stress reduction (meditation, walks, journaling).
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Low stress burden had a stronger association with reduced mortality than physical activity in some models.
We always hear 'exercise is medicine'—but here, managing stress was just as powerful, if not more, for survival in high-risk adults.
Practical Takeaways
If you have high CAC, focus on 3 things: quit smoking (biggest win), get 150 mins of moderate exercise weekly, and practice daily stress reduction (meditation, walks, journaling).
Publication
Journal
American Heart Journal
Year
2017
Authors
Mahmoud Al Rifai, P. Greenland, M. Blaha, E. Michos, K. Nasir, M. Miedema, J. Yeboah, V. Sandfort, A. Frazier-Wood, S. Shea, J. Lima, M. Szklo, W. Post, R. Blumenthal, J. McEvoy
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Claims (8)
Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and eating healthy foods can protect your heart just as well as taking medicine.
Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and eating healthy foods can protect your heart just as well as taking medicine.
If you're an adult with early signs of heart disease but no symptoms yet, being very active can help you live longer and avoid heart problems — studies suggest it might delay death by over 30%.
If you have plaque in your heart arteries but your blood sugar is normal, you’re less likely to die early and live longer — but it doesn’t seem to stop heart attacks. So keeping your blood sugar in check might help you live longer, even if it doesn’t prevent heart problems.
For people with already high calcium buildup in their heart arteries, having higher levels of 'good' cholesterol seems to lower their chance of having a heart attack or stroke—but it doesn’t seem to help them live longer.