Atherosclerosis Living With

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Heart-healthy living, along with ongoing medical care, can help prevent complications of atherosclerosis and help you have a long, healthy life.  Plaque  buildup can take away years of life, especially for people who have complications. For example, a heart attack takes away more than 16 years of life on average. People with heart failure lose an average of nearly 10 years.

Everyone can take steps to adopt heart-healthy living. Research shows that women who have a healthy lifestyle could expect to live 14 years longer than those who do not, while men could have 12 more years of life.

Complications of atherosclerosis can occur suddenly with no warning signs. Some conditions, such as heart attack, stroke, or cardiac arrest, may lead to disability or death.

As plaque continues to grow in the  arteries , so does the risk of life-threatening complications.

• Brain conditions: Plaque buildup in arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the brain can lead to a transient ischemic attack or stroke. Plaque can break off or cause a  blood clot  that travels to the brain, also causing a stroke. Vascular dementia can result from plaque buildup that reduces blood flow to the brain. Vascular dementia causes  cognitive  decline beyond the normal aging process.
• Heart problems:Coronary heart disease can cause aortic aneurysm, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), cardiac arrest, heart failure, or a heart attack.
• Organ damage: Plaque buildup can block blood flow to your organs, causing conditions such as chronic kidney disease. If your kidneys can't filter your blood, you may need dialysis or a kidney transplant. Narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to your intestines (mesenteric artery ischemia) causes intestinal tissue to die or develop serious infections. Organ damage can be fatal.
• Problems with your limbs:Peripheral artery disease (PAD) can cause long-term poor blood flow in your arms or legs (critical limb ischemia). Signs include sores, infections, and death of tissue ( gangrene ) due to lack of blood flow. A sudden drop in blood flow to your leg (acute limb  ischemia ) is a serious medical emergency.

WALLET CARD

Print out a card that lists warning signs of a heart attack and explains what to do if you're having symptoms.

Download the wallet card.

If you have atherosclerosis or its risk factors, work closely with your provider to avoid serious problems, such as heart attack and stroke.

Follow your treatment plan and take all medicines as prescribed. Do not change the amount of your medicine or skip a dose unless your provider tells you to.

To monitor your atherosclerosis risk factors, your healthcare provider may review your lifetime or 10-year risk for serious complications and also repeat the following tests:

• Lipid panels to see if blood cholesterol levels remain at healthy levels
• Blood sugar tests for monitoring blood sugar levels
• Regularblood pressure checks to be sure your blood pressure is in the healthy range

Statins  are the most common medicine used to treat plaque buildup. Here are some tips to stay safe if your provider prescribes a statin.

• Keep taking your statin medicine as prescribed. If you started taking a statin after you recently had a heart attack, a stroke, or another complication, you should not stop taking this medicine on your own, because that can increase your risk for a repeat event or even death.
• Ask your provider about medicines, nutritional supplements, or foods to avoid. Some of these can interact with statins to cause serious side effects or make them less effective. For example, grapefruit (fresh or as juice) affects how your liver breaks down some statins.
• Tell your provider about any symptoms or side effects. Some people report muscle problems while taking statins. If you start having muscle pain, your provider may order a blood test to look for muscle damage. The pain may go away if you switch to a different statin. Muscle damage with statins is rare, and your muscles may heal when you switch to a different medicine.
• If you are a woman who is planning to become pregnant, talk to your provider about your options. You should stop taking statins about 3 months before getting pregnant. Also, you should not take statins if you are breastfeeding.

Talk with your provider about how often you should schedule office visits and blood tests. Between visits, call your provider if you get new symptoms, if your symptoms worsen, or if you have problems with your blood pressure or blood sugar.

If you're taking aspirin, antiplatelet medicines, or blood thinners, be alert for bleeding that's hard to control or excessive bruising. Call your provider if you have these symptoms.

Let your healthcare team know if you are having problems with any part of your treatment plan. Even if your symptoms get better, be sure to see your provider for regular care.

Having an atherosclerosis-related disease may cause fear, anxiety, depression, and stress. You may worry about having heart problems or making lifestyle changes that are necessary for your health. Talk with your healthcare team about how you feel and actions you can take.

• Talk to a counselor. If you have depression or anxiety, medicines or other treatments may also help improve your quality of life.
• Join a patient support group. This may help you adjust to living with heart disease. You can find out how other people manage similar symptoms. Your provider may be able to recommend local support groups, or you can check with an area medical center.
• Seek support from family and friends. Let your loved ones know how you feel. Talk with them about what they can do to help relieve your stress and anxiety.

People who have conditions caused by plaque buildup are more likely to have more serious symptoms if they get COVID-19. Severe COVID-19 increases the chance of needing to be hospitalized in an intensive care unit, having long-term effects, and dying from the illness. COVID-19 may worsen plaque buildup and raise the risk that the plaques will break off or cause blood clots. Studies show that these effects may be due to inflammation, which can lead to a higher risk for complications of atherosclerosis, including heart attack or stroke. Learn about groups that may be at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness.

The COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines recommend that people with COVID-19 keep taking cholesterol medicines or aspirin as directed by their providers for treating atherosclerosis. Be alert for statin side effects because COVID-19 may increase the risk of muscle or liver problems.