Can intense exercise shrink heart plaque?
High intensity interval training induces beneficial effects on coronary atheromatous plaques - a randomized trial.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
HIIT caused measurable plaque regression in residual coronary arteries after stenting.
It was widely believed that once plaques form and stents are placed, they’re stable or only slowly progress—this study shows they can shrink with exercise.
Practical Takeaways
If you have stable coronary artery disease after a stent, ask your doctor about supervised HIIT—two 20–30 minute sessions per week at high intensity.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
HIIT caused measurable plaque regression in residual coronary arteries after stenting.
It was widely believed that once plaques form and stents are placed, they’re stable or only slowly progress—this study shows they can shrink with exercise.
Practical Takeaways
If you have stable coronary artery disease after a stent, ask your doctor about supervised HIIT—two 20–30 minute sessions per week at high intensity.
Publication
Journal
European journal of preventive cardiology
Year
2022
Authors
E. Vesterbekkmo, Inger-Lise Aamot Aksetøy, T. Follestad, H. O. Nilsen, K. Hegbom, U. Wisløff, R. Wiseth, E. Madssen
Related Content
Claims (4)
Doing supervised, short bursts of intense exercise like sprinting or cycling hard for six months can shrink the fatty buildups in your arteries—just as well as, or even better than, taking cholesterol-lowering statin pills.
If you've had a heart stent placed and still have some clogged arteries left, doing short bursts of intense exercise might help stop those clogs from getting worse.
If you've had a heart stent and stick to a strict exercise program with intense bursts of activity for six months, you might shrink the fatty buildup in your heart arteries more than if you just follow regular heart health advice.
If you've had a stent placed for heart disease, doing two 30-minute high-intensity workout sessions a week for six months can actually shrink the fatty plaques in your arteries a little—while just following regular heart advice doesn't make much difference.