How to properly prevent cerebral atherosclerosis?

It is known that it is much easier to prevent any pathology than to subsequently treat it. Systemic pathology atherosclerosis is a complex disease that is not always treatable.

Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels is the most dangerous type of disease, which has the properties of rapid progression and transition to a complicated form, which often leads to premature death.

For such a disease, prevention is important, but if there is a suspicion of its development in the brain, then it is necessary to urgently go to the doctor and establish an accurate diagnosis for further treatment.

Who needs vascular strengthening?

The veins, arteries and capillaries in the brain become weaker with age. The likelihood of rupture under the influence of mechanical factors increases. Let's consider categories of citizens who need special attention to their vessels.

Athletes - increased blood pressure occurs with increased stress on the body. With increased blood pressure on the vessels, their walls must be strong enough.

Patients whose lifestyle is not active enough. When a person moves, more intense blood circulation is ensured. This reduces the likelihood of blood clots. When patients do not move enough, blood flow slows down, swelling in the tissues and thrombosis appear .

Frequent stressful situations provoke the production of large amounts of hormones that contribute to the narrowing of the lumen of arteries and veins; insufficiently strong walls can be damaged. Patients with poor heredity or who consume too much alcohol and tobacco.

The effectiveness of modern methods of strengthening

Strengthening blood vessels prevents stroke in most cases. Let's look at the aspects that require attention:

• Timeliness . The effectiveness of training manifests itself over time, so you need to start it as early as possible. It is not recommended to wait for the appearance of ischemic disorders.
• Rhythm . The advice of a specialist should be followed regularly, even if you feel normal.
• Subsequence . The physical load on the body should be determined taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient’s body.

The combined therapeutic technique is always the most effective. Dietary procedures without gymnastics do not bring the desired result. This also applies to the use of medications.

Complex measures allow you to achieve the desired effect. Weak blood vessels in the brain are strengthened only in this way.

Basic diet rules

Dietary nutrition for ASGM is based on the rules developed by the Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation. Diet No. 10, which is prescribed to patients with problems of the cardiovascular system, is based on these postulates:

1. Reducing the percentage of fat in the diet by eliminating/limiting foods that are a source of saturated fatty acids.
2. Increasing the proportion of foods in the diet that are sources of fiber.
3. Refusal of easily digestible (fast) carbohydrates.
4. Increasing the volume of foods containing unsaturated fatty acids.
5. Refusal of fried foods. Eating boiled, baked and stewed food.
6. Limited salt intake.
7. Daily caloric intake is limited to 2500 kcal. If a person is obese, the norm decreases to 2000 kcal.

When determining daily calorie intake, a person’s lifestyle is taken into account. Table 1 shows the energy needs of people taking into account their lifestyle.

Table 1

What does a person do?	Daily calorie intake, kcal
Sedentary work that does not require mental activity	2200
Office work involving mental work	2500
Motor activity replacing passive work	3000
Heavy physical activity as the main activity	5000

Strengthening during VSD

Let's look at several common ways to strengthen veins and arteries during VSD.

If you regularly exercise and do exercises, the condition of blood vessels improves by 30%. If you don't play sports, you won't get any results.

From doctors' advice:

• You need to jog in the morning and evening.
• Perform exercises at home or in the gym at least 4 times a week for 20-25 minutes.
• It is undesirable to allow yourself to become overtired.

Water procedures are carried out in the mornings. You need to take a contrast shower. It has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and gives a boost of energy. If you perform a similar procedure in the evening, it is better to count it 2-3 hours before bedtime. After a hard day, a shower allows you to remove fatigue and nervous tension.

Let's figure out how to take a contrast shower:

1. Warm water is turned on first.
2. Then it gradually becomes hotter.
3. When the body adapts to the hot flow, the temperature needs to be reduced to cold.

Patients whose health does not allow them to take a contrast shower can limit themselves to foot baths. The water temperature in them changes according to a similar principle.

It is advisable to eat food several times a day in small portions; it is better not to overeat before going to bed. Those who like to indulge in coffee drinks will have to slow down.

If the patient has weak blood vessels, at least 1 liter should be consumed per day. water. The diet should include fresh vegetables and fruits in large quantities. It is better to eat them raw. Salty foods are allowed.

Massage helps strengthen blood vessels . You can perform similar procedures yourself using the following instructions:

1. Raise your arms to the level of your ribs, clasp your hands, palms should be directed towards your face. The arms are stretched to the sides gradually 10 times.
2. The thumbs are gathered into a link, the arms are stretched similarly to the previous example.
3. The thumb of one hand is clamped between the middle and index fingers of the other; you need to try to sharply pull it out of this clamp.
4. At the end of the procedures, rub your palms.

Detailed menu for the week

When compiling a diet, they use a set of permitted dishes and products. From the proposed dishes, you can create a menu for every day, but so that the total amount of protein is 90-100 g, fat - 70-80 g (50% vegetable), carbohydrates - 300-350 g.

Below is an approximate weekly diet.

Monday

Breakfast: rye bread - 1 slice, oatmeal with milk with fruit - 200 g, tea with milk - 150 ml.

Second breakfast: boiled shrimp – 100 g, one apple, green tea.

Lunch: borscht – 150 ml, sea fish with vegetables – 200 g, tomato salad – 100 g, rye bread – 1 slice, carrot juice – 150 ml.

Afternoon snack: cottage cheese - 150 g.

Dinner: baked cod – 100 g, mashed potatoes – 150 g, vinaigrette – 100 g, bran bread, green tea – a glass.

Tuesday

Breakfast: egg white omelette – 50 g, wheat porridge with milk – 150 g, a piece of rye bread, a glass of tea.

Second breakfast: pumpkin puree – 150 g, cookies without salt – 2 pieces, berry juice – 150 ml.

Lunch: chicken soup – 150 ml, boiled chicken – 150 g, vegetable puree – 100 g, berry jelly – 150 ml.

Afternoon snack: banana.

Dinner: baked fish – 200 g, stewed vegetables – 150 g, a piece of rye bread, mineral water – a glass.

Wednesday

Breakfast: oatmeal with milk – 150 g, two apples, chicory with milk – 150 ml.

Second breakfast: cottage cheese – 100 g, berries – 50 g, one cookie, fruit compote – a glass.

Lunch: vegetable borscht – 100 ml, boiled seafood – 150 g, cucumber salad – 100 g, green tea – 150 ml.

Afternoon snack: yogurt.

Dinner: cabbage with milk sauce – 150 g, a piece of rye bread, vinaigrette – 100 g, milk jelly – 150 ml.

Thursday

Breakfast: wheat porridge with milk – 200 g, rye bread – 2 pcs., tea with milk – a glass, orange.

Second breakfast: seaweed and carrot salad – 200 g, bread, green tea.

Lunch: seafood soup – 150 ml, baked potatoes – 150 g, rye bread, dried fruit compote.

Afternoon snack: yogurt – 150 g.

Dinner: chicken meatballs – 150 g, stewed vegetables – 100 g, bran bread, seaweed salad – 50 g, herbal tea – 150 ml.

Friday

Breakfast: buckwheat porridge – 150 g, cheese – 30 g, rye bread, apple.

Second breakfast: cottage cheese – 100 g, compote – 150 ml.

Lunch: vegetable cabbage soup – 150 ml, stewed fish with vegetable gravy – 150 g, bran bread, green tea – 150 ml.

Afternoon snack: kefir – 150 ml.

Dinner: stewed zucchini – 50 g, boiled chicken breast – 150 g, tea with milk – 100 ml.

Saturday

Breakfast: oatmeal with milk – 150 g, grapefruit, herbal tea.

Second breakfast: cottage cheese – 150 g, berry jelly.

Lunch: beetroot soup – 150 ml, meat casserole – 150 g, rye bread, fruit jelly – a glass.

Afternoon snack: kefir – 150 ml.

Dinner: boiled fish with side dish – 200 g, vegetable salad – 150 g, green tea.

Sunday

Breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese – 150 g, salad – 100 g, tea with milk – 150 g.

Second breakfast: fish meatballs – 100 g, apple, compote.

Lunch: Cereal soup with vegetables – 150 ml, baked fish with sauce – 100 g, tea – 200 ml.

Afternoon snack: kefir – 150 ml.

Dinner: vegetable puree – 150 g, seafood salad – 150 g, herbal tea – 150 g.

Nutrition advice

To make your blood vessels stronger, you need to eat the following foods:

• Grape juice improves memory and functions as an antioxidant.
• Lingonberries and blueberries stabilize blood pressure and improve the elasticity of blood vessels.
• Carrots and garlic.
• Cabbage enriches the body with folic acid and other vitamins.
• Fatty fish makes the brain work better.
• Olive oil stabilizes blood pressure and reduces cholesterol levels in the blood.
• Nuts make veins, arteries and capillaries stronger.
• Soy sauce helps restore damaged blood vessels.

It is advisable to eat food 6-7 times a day in small portions, since heavy meals have a negative effect on blood circulation. This leads to an increased likelihood of vascular disorder.

Medicines for the prevention of cerebral vessels

Preventive drugs for cerebral vessels come in several groups:

1. Lipid-lowering drugs (lower cholesterol levels).
2. Vasodilators (vasodilators).
3. Antiplatelet agents, anticoagulants (drugs that reduce blood clotting).
4. Drugs that strengthen the vascular wall (vitamins).

Lipid-lowering drugs lower cholesterol levels in the blood. Drugs for the prevention of cerebral atherosclerosis include this particular group of medications, because destroy atherosclerotic plaques, cleanse the lumen of the vessel. There are medicines:

• reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine (Cholesteramine);
• inhibiting cholesterol synthesis (Lovastatin, Nicotinic acid, Clofibrate, etc.);
• accelerating metabolism and cholesterol removal (Probucol).

Absolute contraindications: pregnancy, lactation, active liver disease.

To eliminate insufficient blood supply to the brain tissue due to vasoconstriction, doctors prescribe tablets for the prevention of cerebral vasodilators of the group cerebral vasodilators . The use of these medications reduces resistance in the blood vessels. The active ingredients of the medications relax the vascular walls, which causes them to expand and the lumen to increase.

Tablets and injections for the prevention of cerebral vessels

• Hydralazine;
• Vinpocetine;
• Nicergoline.

Each drug has its own list of contraindications, but there are general restrictions on use: pregnancy, age under 1 year, severe pathologies of the liver and kidneys.

Prevention of blood clots in the vessels of the brain includes 2 groups of drugs: antiplatelet agents, anticoagulants . The former prevent the formation of platelet clots, the latter block the biochemical reactions that lead to the formation of fibrin. Prevention of cerebral vessels with drugs from the group:

• antiplatelet agents: Aspirin, Wobenzym, Colfarit;
• anticoagulants: Heparin, Phenilin, Warfarin.

Tablets and injections for the prevention of cerebral vessels of the antiplatelet group, anticoagulants are contraindicated in case of individual intolerance, bleeding, peptic ulcers, hemorrhagic diathesis, children under 16 years of age, pregnancy, lactation, liver and kidney diseases, C- and K-vitamin deficiency.

To maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, strengthen the walls, and improve metabolism in the vascular bed, doctors prescribe general strengthening vitamin complexes containing:

• vitamin P – has the ability to reduce the fragility and permeability of blood vessels (Ascorutin);
• selenium, potassium, silicon – strengthen vascular walls (Centrum);
• Dihydroquercetin – reduces blood viscosity and vascular permeability, improves capillary movement (Flavit).

Proper rest

Be sure to sleep at least 8 hours a day. Patients require active rest. It is not advisable to constantly sit in front of the TV or computer. You need to take walks more often, go on hikes, go to theaters, etc. A person’s schedule should be filled with different things. Rest should have a beneficial effect on your mood and health.

You need to try to take breaths with your diaphragm and perform breathing exercises. This helps saturate the blood with oxygen, which helps strengthen the blood vessels of the head.

Is there a limit on drinks?

Those drinks whose taste is improved synthetically (with the addition of flavors, preservatives, taste improvers) have no practical health benefits. Carbonated artificial waters, on the contrary, will harm digestion.

Useful: rosehip-based decoctions, green tea (possibly with lemon), dried fruit compotes, vegetable juices, natural fruit drinks.

You need to be careful with freshly squeezed fruit juices, since the acids they contain can negatively affect the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa (especially in people with a tendency to gastritis, peptic ulcers with high acidity).

For those who cannot imagine their life without a cup of coffee, it is recommended to drink a cup of weak coffee a day or replace it with a chicory drink.

Medicines

It is better to give preference to new generation products. They have an extended spectrum of action and a minimal number of side effects.

The following drugs are used to strengthen blood vessels:

Noofen is taken by people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. The drug increases the number of mitochondria. These are cells that help produce energy. If they are in sufficient quantities in the body, flexibility and permeability improve.

Fezam . A combination product containing Cinnarizine and Piracetam. Increases the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood, which adapts brain cells to hypoxia. The medicine also strengthens capillaries.

Actovegin. A long course of use of the drug helps eliminate spasms, cholesterol plaques, and reduces the likelihood of blood clots.

The vitamin complex helps improve the functionality of veins and arteries. Let's figure out how different beneficial substances affect their condition:

• Retinol improves metabolism and reduces the chances of developing atherosclerosis.
• Ascorbic acid reduces the concentration of high-density lipoproteins, the walls of veins and arteries become stronger.
• Tocopherol belongs to the category of antioxidants, eliminates fat oxidation, and helps protect the walls of blood vessels.
• Rutin strengthens capillaries and promotes better regeneration.
• Polyunsaturated acids help prevent the appearance of fatty deposits on the walls of blood vessels.
• B vitamins are essential for the circulatory system of the brain. Lipid metabolism is stabilized due to their action. The decomposition of low-density lipoproteins and their detection are stimulated.

Minerals:

• Calcium in combination with vitamin D helps strengthen blood vessels, reducing their fragility and fragility.
• Magnesium prevents blood clots, improves blood pressure, deformation of veins and arteries, increases their tone, and the walls become relaxed.
• Phosphorus strengthens the formed elements of vascular tissues and improves the movement of nerve impulses.
• Selenium helps strengthen veins, arteries, capillaries by improving metabolic processes.

You can use some vitamins for a long time. The effectiveness of treatment is ensured thanks to the vitamin-mineral complex.

Consider a list of drugs consisting of several beneficial substances for the blood vessels of the head:

• Ascorutin . The medicine contains vitamins C and P, which stabilizes recovery processes. The fragility of capillaries worsens, the walls of blood vessels become strong and flexible.
• Hawthorn promotes healthy capillaries, eliminates inflammation, and has an antiviral and antispastic effect.
• Vitrum cardio omega-3 reduces the chances of atherosclerosis. The medicine eliminates triglycerides, high and low density cholesterol. The cell structure is strengthened, the elasticity of blood vessels is restored.
• Direction makes the arteries stronger, blood circulation in the head is stabilized, the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis is reduced, and vascular regeneration is improved.
• Cardiohealth . A herbal remedy that helps strengthen vascular tissue, the microcirculation process is stabilized, the elasticity of the arteries increases, and cholesterol is produced in a smaller volume.

When purchasing drugs that strengthen the blood vessels of the head, you need to carefully follow the list of contraindications and follow the dosage.

The effect of food on brain activity

Dysfunction of cerebral vessels leads to inadequate delivery of nutrients and oxygen starvation of sensitive cells. Proper nutrition is directly related to the functionality of brain structures.

A balanced diet provides the body with essential nutrients and allows the brain to perform its functions more productively. Brain food products must contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates that provide:

• Improving memory and concentration;
• Stress resistance;
• Energy replenishment;
• Cell renewal.

Eating foods high in carotenoids is beneficial for the blood vessels of the brain - the elasticity of the vascular wall increases and the risk of blood clots decreases.

The cells of the central organ perform higher mental functions; without organic compounds supplied with food, cognitive activity is disrupted and the performance of the entire organism decreases.

Effect of organic compounds on brain structures:

1. Proteins act as building materials for cells. During metabolism, an amino acid is released from the protein, which is necessary for transmitting impulses from the nerve fiber to the cells.
2. Complex carbohydrates - participate in metabolic processes and also replenish expended energy.
3. Fatty acids (omega 3, 6) – full-fledged brain function is not possible without the intake of fats. A lack of fatty acids leads to changes in cellular structure and inflammatory processes.
4. Vitamins and minerals - participate in the synthesis of hormones and stimulate the development of cognitive abilities.

Eating food containing trans fats leads to atherosclerotic changes in blood vessels and the formation of plaques, which is dangerous by completely blocking blood flow.

Traditional medicine

Let's figure out how to strengthen the blood vessels of the brain using folk remedies. You need to take several internal partitions of walnuts , pour them into a pharmacy hawthorn tincture. You need to insist for 14 days in a cool place in a closed container. Then the liquid needs to be purified and taken 3 times a day, 1 tea. lie in a week.

Lemon juice is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3, honey is added. This medicine is used 2 times a day.

A mixture of marsh cudweed , meadowsweet and rose hips is brewed until the morning, after which the liquid is purified and consumed 2 times a day, a glass, for 60 days.

Crushed flax seeds are steamed in boiling water. After this, the tincture is filtered and consumed before bed for 4 months.

Clover leaves , parsley seeds, wormwood, are brewed in boiling water. You need to drink 50 ml of purified liquid every 3 hours.

The mixture of lemon and garlic is poured with boiling water and evaporated until the amount of liquid is reduced by half. The resulting product is filtered and placed in a container with a lid.

You can take it 30 drops before meals for 24 days. It is unacceptable to increase the concentration of this drug when eating.

Garlic is good for blood vessels; you can take it raw or prepare a tincture. Chopped garlic should be poured with alcohol in equal proportions and left for about 2 weeks in a cold room without direct sunlight.

Tips for using garlic tincture:

• First day. You need to add milk to a glass and pour a drop of the product. You can take it on an empty stomach half an hour before meals; before dinner, the dosage can be doubled.
• The next day you need to add 4-6 drops to the water at an interval of 30 minutes.
• In the future, you need to increase the dosage so that by the 6th day the number of drops of tincture corresponds to 15. After this, the dosage is reduced daily. Then you need to drink the tincture 25 drops at a time until it runs out. Most often, this medicine lasts for 3 months.

Diet and drinking regimen

It is not enough to consume permitted foods and properly prepared dishes; you also need to follow a diet. You can't eat to your heart's content. The daily norm is divided into 5-6 meals. This approach to nutrition reduces the load on the digestive tract, heart, blood vessels, and cerebral circulation.

For atherosclerosis it is recommended:

1. Do not eat heavily, rarely or heavily, before bedtime or physical activity.
2. Arrange weekly fasting days - milk, kefir, apple, cottage cheese.
3. Avoid snacking at fast foods.

For patients with ASGM and atherosclerosis in general, nutritionists advise drinking 2 liters of clean water. This should be mineral, unboiled water. Hydrocarbonate-sulfate water is recommended.

Disease Prevention

The main cause of vascular disorders in the head is problems with the functioning of the central nervous system. This is often caused by stressful situations, depression, problems with work, and conflicts in the environment.

Bad habits also provoke problems with blood vessels. Chronic use of tobacco and alcohol negatively affects brain cells and capillaries . Alcohol provokes blood thickening and the appearance of blood clots, smoking increases pressure on blood vessels.

Dietary problems cause vascular dystonia. It is advisable to limit the consumption of foods that contribute to excessive cholesterol production. With an insufficiently active lifestyle, veins and arteries become weaker and gradually become overgrown with fatty deposits. Only comprehensive measures help to fully strengthen blood vessels.

Diagnostics

In order to correctly prescribe treatment methods, it is necessary to establish a diagnosis of atherosclerosis of the arteries in the brain. Primary and secondary prevention directly depend on a correctly established diagnosis.

To make a diagnosis as quickly as possible, the patient must undergo instrumental diagnostics and laboratory testing of blood composition:

• Undergo a blood composition examination and examine the hemostasis system;
• Check the vascular system for possible pathologies;
• Undergo diagnostics of the heart organ;
• Check the vessels of the neck for compression by the spine, which leads to disruption of blood supply to the brain;
• Check your glucose levels and get tested for diabetes;
• Investigate the blood pressure index and the pathology of hypertension.

Laboratory diagnostics:

• Biochemical analysis of blood composition for cholesterol;
• Lipid spectrum.

Instrumental diagnostics:

• Ultrasound of blood vessels of all parts of the brain;
• Angiography method;
• Duplex scanning of cerebral vessels;
• Triplex scanning with contrast of the main arteries in the neck;
• MRI of intracerebral vessels and circle of Willis.

Only in combination with diagnostics inside the skull and diagnostics of extracranial arteries, it is possible to find the cause of the formation of an atherosclerotic plaque, as well as determine its location.

Ultrasound of blood vessels of all parts of the brain