At Matthews Internal Medicine, preventative medicine is one of our areas of expertise. We focus on preventing deadly diseases because it can be easier than trying to treat a major medical problem later on. One area that we really focus on is heart disease prevention.
Heart disease is one of the leading killers, of both men and women, in the United States. Billions of dollars are spent each year on heart disease prevention and treatment efforts, and some people just want to know one thing. Can heart disease be cured? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
Is Heart Disease Curable?
The basic answer is no. Many forms of heart disease are treatable though. The problem is that some damage from heart disease just can’t be repaired. Here’s a look at the parts of your heart most affected by the disease and a few reasons why the complete cure for heart disease remains out of reach for now.
Heart Tissue
The biggest obstacle facing a heart disease cure is the heart muscle and its recovery capabilities, or lack thereof. The problem is that once heart muscle is damaged by a heart attack, it can’t simply regrow. Parts of the heart muscle die and those cells don’t have any way of regenerating.
Heart Valves
On that same note, a heart valve also lacks the ability to recover on its own. A heart valve can become calcified and stiff over time due to the effects of heart disease. There’s just no way to reverse that process to make the valve flexible again. Because it can’t do its important job, it needs to be repaired or outright replaced. Fortunately, recent medical advances have made this process easier, but it’s still a far cry from a complete cure for heart disease.
What Can Be Done?
Fortunately, there are some treatments out there that can extend the life of people living with heart disease and improve their quality of life. Here’s a look at steps most medical professionals would take with their heart disease patients.
Lowering Blood Pressure
Prescribing medication that lowers blood pressure or encouraging healthier habits that can normalize a patient’s higher blood pressure levels can make a difference. This can help partially reverse the forming of plaque in the coronary arteries. It won’t reverse the damage done completely, but it helps.
Lowering Cholesterol
Another driver of heart disease is high cholesterol. Lowering it can help undue some damage and improve a patient’s life.
Opening Up Vessels
Surgical procedures that open up blood vessels can help patients live a longer and more functional life. This gets the blood flowing like it did before the damage from heart disease set in.
Heart Transplants
In truly desperate situations, a heart transplant that replaces a patient’s heart with a new one can be used to help treat heart disease. This can be a risky procedure and the wait for a new heart can be long though.
Focus on Preventative Care
Since there’s no outright cure, focusing on heart disease prevention is still key. Many medical advances have been made in this area in recent years and prevention efforts will remain one of the best ways to maintain heart health in your old age. See how we can help you today.