{"id":29708,"date":"2021-10-10T19:57:04","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T00:57:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/?p=29708"},"modified":"2022-11-14T13:48:32","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T19:48:32","slug":"youre-only-as-old-as-your-arteries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2021\/10\/10\/youre-only-as-old-as-your-arteries","title":{"rendered":"You\u2019re Only As Old As Your Arteries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I first heard this phrase in medical school, but physicians have been using the phrase \u201chardening of the arteries\u201d to describe the slow decline and death of old people probably since they started dissecting bodies in Ancient Greece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve got a few spare hours and a yellow highlighter, you might want to print out and review this lengthy article by four physiologists from the University of Colorado<\/a>. Or just follow the bullet points I\u2019ve extracted below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m impressed that the authors encourage lifestyle changes and nutritional supplements over drugs in order to help people avoid surgical intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spoiler alert: having not yet received FDA approval, the intravenous (IV) therapies described at the end of this Health Tip are not mentioned in the article, even though both therapies have been widely used for more than 50 years in 25% of the world\u2019s countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we age<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our arteries age because their lining, called the endothelium,<\/em> slowly becomes damaged. This occurs when a protective substance called nitric oxide declines, rendering the endothelium more susceptible to oxidative stress. In the process, the lining becomes chronically inflamed and predisposed to deposits of cholesterol plaque that can lead to partial and sometimes complete arterial obstruction. That\u2019s hardening of the arteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we pressed the fast-forward button on aging<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When we were younger, many of us sped up this process with physical inactivity, stress, obesity, tobacco smoke, unhealthful diets, and environmental toxins. With our arteries inflamed and ultimately narrowed, our vital organs were deprived of an adequate blood supply. Just by being inflamed, our arteries are susceptible to calcium and cholesterol plaques with further downstream obstructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we could be doing now<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You know much of this already, so please bear with me. Sorry, PETA members, but the researchers actually viewed reversals of artery hardening in elderly lab animals that engaged in regular exercise and also received healthful diets and nutritional supplements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the researchers put it, \u201cRegular aerobic exercise has a strongly favorable effect on vascular endothelial function with aging.\u201d So does calorie restriction, meaning just eat less. Make sure you\u2019re enjoying nuts, seeds, veggies, fish, legumes, fruit, and veggies. Cut back on salt and ensure your weight is under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers also offered a few supplement recommendations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n