Excessive inflammation is the culprit for heart disease and clogged arteries. This arterial inflammation causes damage to the arterial walls and contributes to the formation of plaque deposits.
When there’s a buildup of plaque, the arteries become stiffer and narrower. This condition is known as atherosclerosis.
And, it’s the leading cause of strokes and heart attacks.
Knowing the risk associated with arterial inflammation, we’ll present the truth about it: the eight major reasons that lead to it and elevate the risk of cardiovascular illness.
8 Major Risk Factors Associated with Atherosclerosis
- Leaky gut
A leaky gut is associated with heart disease. Here’s why.
The intestinal lining cells function as a prevention for toxins and bacteria from going inside the blood. But, this barrier may develop leaks and holes, resulting in unwanted elements like toxins and bacteria entering the blood and leading to systemic inflammation.
When this happens, the lining cells inside the blood vessels get damaged, resulting in narrower heart arteries.
This could cause symptoms like shortness of breath and pain in the chest, as well as lead to hypertension and arterial blockage.
A leaky gut is linked with an unhealthy diet high in processed sugar and bad fat and a lack of fiber.
- Oral bacteria
Cardiologists agree: there’s a connection between cardiovascular illnesses and gum disease and gingivitis.
This is because the deep pocket bacteria from the gums may enter the blood and lead to inflammation, buildup of plaque, inflammation, and blocked coronary arteries.
One of the signals that there’s a problem is bleeding while flossing or brushing the teeth. Science has discovered that oral bacteria in blood clots can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and brain aneurysms.
Moreover, a study from the American Heart Association journal found that the same bacteria from root canal teeth were found in coronary artery plaque.
An American Dental Association journal study found that individuals with a root canal tooth had twice the risk of heart disease than those people without any root canal.
Unfortunately, millions of root canal procedures are performed on a yearly basis without taking this issue into consideration.
- Refined sugar and bad fat
LDL cholesterol is harmful when it’s oxidized. These small and dense LDL particles oxidize and go into the arterial walls.
When this occurs, the oxidized LDL particles cause an inflammatory response and contribute to arterial plaque.
The oxidation of LDL particles is triggered by a diet that’s rich in refined carbs and sugars, as well as white flour, unhealthy fat sources, vegetable seed oils, deep-fried and pre-packaged foods, and trans-fats.
Focus more on healthy fats coming from nuts, seeds, olive oil, and fatty fish.
- High level of insulin
Pre-diabetics’ and diabetics’ bodies can’t use insulin at the rate it’s produced. As a result, the levels are higher than necessary.
Insulin, when excessively present in the blood, acts as an inflammatory particle and increases inflammation.
When this hormone’s levels are too high, they can lead to inflamed and damaged cells. When the body is faced with high levels of sugar, it will begin to compensate by boosting insulin production even more.
And, it triggers the buildup of fat, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. Visceral fat and obesity are risk factors for heart disease.
This is due to the fact that insulin is a fat-storage hormone. When the levels of it are high, the body won’t burn fat.
Lipase is an enzyme that burns fat and it’s deactivated by insulin. So, if you’re looking to decrease weight, you will need to lower your insulin levels.
- Stress and sleep disorders
Unfortunately, sleep apnea and insomnia are a problem for millions of people worldwide.
People with sleep apnea are also at risk of cardiovascular stress. Normally, the fight-or-flight hormone at night is lower because we’re resting.
But, in people with sleep apnea who’re struggling to breathe and even stop breathing several times during this period, the hormone is up and down all the time, which could contribute to damage to the heart and blood vessels.
This is why keeping sleep apnea controlled and treated is pivotal. Some of the helpful tools are CPAP machines or other specialized mouth devices.
What’s more, poor sleep due to stress or another reason has been associated with blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. This is why finding the root cause of your poor sleep is essential and then addressing it properly.
- Heavy metals and toxins
Heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, and lead, according to studies, can cause health issues due to disrupted cell function.
These metals accumulate in our system via smoking, beauty and hygiene products, water supplies, dental fillings, etc.
Research has associated the increase of these toxins with hypertension, heart artery, and heart muscle damage, as well as peripheral leg damage.
This is why it’s important to learn about the best methods to eliminate heavy metals and toxins from the body.
- Nutrient deficiencies
Lacking vitamins like CoQ10 or Vitamin D could be bad news for your heart health.
What’s more, low levels of B12 also known as folate may contribute to higher levels of homocysteine and put you at a higher risk of arterial clogging. Homocysteine is an amino acid that’s been linked with arterial inflammation when the levels are too high.
The healthy levels are under 9mcmol/L.
- Sedentary lifestyle
Poor physical activity is one of the leading causes of heart disease. Spending a lot of time sitting and lacking physical activity contributes to inflammation, as well as loss of muscle tissue and higher body fat.
This is why regular physical activity is a must for keeping the heart muscles strong and the arteries clean. You can choose whichever activity suits you best: from using the stairs instead of a vehicle to signing up for classes in your favorite sport.
Movement is crucial!
Sources: