These drugs treat a variety of conditions, including high blood pressure. Vasodilators are medications that open (dilate) blood vessels. They affect the muscles in the walls of the arteries and veins, preventing the muscles from tightening and the walls from narrowing.
Cholesterol drugs.
Medications can help lower bad cholesterol and reduce plaque buildup in the arteries. Such drugs include statins, niacin, fibrates and bile acid sequestrants.
CGRP: a novel neuropeptide from the calcitonin gene is the most potent vasodilator known.
Beetroot Juice
Beets can dilate the blood vessels, and in doing so increase blood flow throughout your body. Beetroot juice can also help lower your blood pressure, which is often a problem when your arteries are partly blocked.
About three of every four heart attacks occur when plaques rupture. Larger plaques can block blood flow. But they are typically covered by thick, fibrous caps that can resist breaking apart. These are often treated by inserting a wire mesh tube (stent) near the blockage to widen the artery.
Medication as effective as stents, bypass for treating blocked arteries, major study shows.
Chronic total occlusions are arteries that are 100 percent blocked by plaque. These arteries are blocked for several months, if not years. Two procedures can treat this condition: bypass surgery or a non-invasive procedure done in the cath lab.
Although atherosclerosis is not “reversible” as such, there are a variety of treatments available to slow down the process and prevent it from worsening, up to and including surgery. Talk to your doctor about your best options.
Several supplements may help improve circulation. Substances such as capsaicin, beetroot powder, and Omega-3 fatty acids may help dilate blood vessels and reduce inflammation.
Foods that are rich in nitrates: Leafy greens like spinach and lettuce, radishes and bok choy are all rich in nitrates. Your body converts nitrates into nitric oxide, which is very effective at causing vasodilation.
Staying hydrated helps circulation by improving blood flow throughout the body. Warm water is particularly beneficial as it encourages the veins to expand, thus allowing more room for blood to flow. Chilled water, on the other hand, may cause the veins to close up.
In vitro (15–19) and animal (19–23) studies suggest biological mechanisms through which magnesium may prevent or reverse plaque formation and calcification.
Angioplasty uses a medical "balloon" to widen blocked arteries. The balloon presses against the inside wall of the artery to open the space and improve blood flow. A metal stent is often placed across the artery wall to keep the artery from narrowing again.
Aerobic exercise has been attractive for reducing arterial stiffness since the demonstration of improved systemic arterial compliance and aortic β-stiffness index after as little as 4 weeks of training in healthy, sedentary young adults.
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque buildup in the wall of the arteries that supply blood to the heart (called coronary arteries). Plaque is made up of cholesterol deposits. Plaque buildup causes the inside of the arteries to narrow over time.
It has been shown that high doses of salicylates, including aspirin and sodium salicylate, dilate blood vessels in vivo, probably through direct effect on vascular smooth muscle. Vascular tone determines peripheral resistance and thus blood pressure.
Research has shown that in most parts of the body, caffeine acts as a vasodilator by stimulating the release of nitric oxide. That means it widens blood vessels to increase blood flow and improve circulation.
Potassium (Vitamin K)
Potassium is an essential mineral for many important bodily functions, including blood circulation. It keeps the blood vessel walls strong and can even help prevent bulging veins.
Angioplasty and Stents: Also referred to as a balloon angioplasty, this minimally invasive procedure opens narrowed arteries by targeted inflation. Doctors use a small catheter to guide a balloon into place, widening the artery to encourage adequate blood flow.
Through angioplasty, our cardiologists are able to treat patients with blocked or clogged coronary arteries quickly without surgery. During the procedure, a cardiologist threads a balloon-tipped catheter to the site of the narrowed or blocked artery and then inflates the balloon to open the vessel.