How to prevent vascular disease

with Jeffrey Bahr, M.D., Internal Medicine, Advanced Healthcare

Posted: Sept. 1, 2005

If you knew there were some steps you could take to dramatically reduce your risk of having a stroke or developing heart disease or even of having an amputation some day, wouldn’t you want to take those steps? All these conditions may result from complications of vascular disease, but fortunately there are steps you can take that may help you avoid this devastating disease in the first place.

Vascular disease is caused by the build-up of plaque in the walls of arteries throughout the body, a condition known as arteriosclerosis. The result of this build-up is a blocked or narrowed artery, which can reduce or stop blood flow. While most people are familiar with cardiovascular disease in the arteries of the heart, it can also develop in the arms or legs (a condition called peripheral vascular disease), the carotid arteries of the neck, or the arteries around the kidneys or intestines.

Jeffrey Bahr, M.D., Internal Medicine, Advanced Healthcare "It is important to understand the risk factors for vascular disease and make every effort to control these factors, which include smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels."

Jeffrey Bahr, M.D., an internist at Advanced Healthcare, recently discussed steps that each of us can take to reduce our chances of developing vascular disease. He says, “It is important to understand the risk factors for vascular disease and make every effort to control these factors, which include smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels.” Dr. Bahr emphasizes that routine assessments of your risk for developing cardiovascular disease can prove beneficial.

Dr. Bahr says, “Smoking is probably the number one preventable risk factor for vascular disease. Of course, you should never start smoking, but if you do smoke, you should quit immediately.” He points out that smoking can cause serious damage to the vascular system, including contributing to constriction and hardening of the arteries. In addition, smoking accelerates the vascular system’s normal aging process. People who have smoked for any substantial amount of time can never completely return to the risk level of a non-smoker, but they can reduce their risks substantially by stopping.

Lowering your cholesterol levels through diet and possibly medication can also help reduce your risks for having a vascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke. In addition, if your family has a history of vascular disease, then you are more at risk and should make sure you pay very careful attention to your other risk factors. In any families where there is an incidence of premature heart disease (prior to age 55 in men and 65 in women), family members should take steps to control other risk factors and make sure they have regular health screenings.

Also, if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, make sure that your blood sugar level is well controlled, because uncontrolled blood sugar can actually accelerate the rate at which you develop vascular disease.

In general, leading a healthy lifestyle will go a long way toward reducing your risks for developing vascular disease. In addition to not smoking, Dr. Bahr says, “Make sure you have a regular aerobic exercise program, maintain a healthy weight, and eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of vegetables and fruit and is low in saturated fats.”

While vascular disease doesn’t always produce clear symptoms, if you do have symptoms such as leg cramping with exertion or if you have had vascular disease diagnosed, you should do everything possible to control your risk factors and follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations. If you have plaque build-up in one area of your body, your risks are much greater that the disease will develop in other areas too.

Dr. Bahr says, “Even if you have a family history of vascular disease, you can still have a major effect on your likelihood of developing the disease yourself through lifestyle modifications. No matter how old you are, increasing your exercise level and improving your diet will make a difference in your life and decrease your chances of developing vascular disease.”

Jeffrey Bahr, M.D. - Internal Medicine
Good Hope Clinic
3003 W. Good Hope Road
Milwaukee
414-352-3100

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