We want our arteries to be elastic and not stiff.
Exercise, nutrition and medications can all improve the elasticity of our arteries.
The key is to know which arteries are the culprit...
the small arteries or the large ones.
The larger and smaller arteries respond very differently to exercise, medications and nutrition.
Most women have problems with their smaller arteries (called micro-vascular syndrome), not their larger ones.
This is one of the reasons that heart disease is so different in women and men.
Men tend to have blockage in one or more of the main five arteries of the heart.
With women, it's the smaller branches of these arteries that become blocked and clogged.
A cutting edge test that I introduced in my practice a few years ago is the Cardiovascular Profile.
The computer analysis can tell you whether your arteries are stiff or elastic.
This test also tells us whether the problems lie mostly with the larger arteries or with the smaller arteries.
The Cardiovascular Profile test is hard to come by.
You may contact the company to find a qualified practitioner near you: Hypertension Diagnostics, Inc (1-888-785-7392).
Exercise can lead to great improvement in the health and elasticity of the large arteries.
The smaller arteries don't respond that well to exercise.
Stiffness in the small arteries can be improved with nutrients and/or medication.
The amazing amino acid L-arginine - at the proper dosage- will increase nitric oxide and cause your arteries to relax.
Both blood pressure and the elasticity of your arteries can improve significantly by including L-arginine in your supplement program.
The great thing about the Cardiovascular Profile is that it can guide you in effectively using prevention, because you can monitor your progress of exercise, nutrition and medications.
If the elasticity of your arteries doesn't improve with nutrition and exercise, you may need to take a medication.
Consult with your health care professional.
Ace inhibitors, which include drugs like Enalapril and Capapril, may improve the elasticity of the arteries.
Drugs such as Drovan, that are called ARBS (Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers) may also improve the elasticity of the arteries.
Both the ace inhibitors and the ARBS will be much more effective when combined with proper nutrients: 4-6 gm of fish oil a day, 4-5 gm of L-arginine a day, a variety of antioxidants including Co Q10, as well as a new class of enzymes (Nattokinase and lumbrokinase) that appear to be very helpful for people at risk for coronary artery disease because they break down fibrin.
Phosphatidylcholine also improves the health of our arteries, but unfortunately high potency phosphatidylcholine is quite expensive.
If you are going to take the risk of being on a medication, you should monitor your progress with the Cardiovascular Profile so that you can at least tell whether or not your arteries are benefiting from the medication.
Some medications used for high blood pressure do improve the elasticity of the arteries, and others don't.