What Happens During A Vascular Screening?
Posted June 24, 2019 by Drazen Petrinec, MD
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the US. Over 600,000 people - roughly 1 in 4 individuals - die each year. Heart disease can place you at a much higher risk for stroke and other vascular diseases.
Carotid arteries are blood vessels in the neck that supply blood flow to the head and brain. If vascular disease develops in carotid arteries, that can lead to a higher risk of stroke. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) are dilations or swellings of the main blood vessel in the abdomen. As AAAs enlarge, the wall becomes thinner and is at risk for bursting which can be a life threatening emergency. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is narrowing or blockage in the blood vessels of the legs. PAD puts you at two times the risk of a serious cardiac event, like a heart attack or stroke, and can decrease the blood flow to the legs causing pain in the legs with walking, non-healing wounds in the legs, and sometimes can lead to limb loss.
Vascular screenings have become a vital tool in diagnosis and monitoring potential problems. They’re like check-ups for your arteries. Unfortunately, vascular disease is often asymptomatic, meaning most symptoms don’t present until something potentially life-threatening - like an aneurysm - has occurred.
Individuals with more than one of the following risk factors should consider asking their primary care physician if a vascular screening might be beneficial:
- Age 55+
- Have diabetes
- Use nicotine products
- High blood pressure
- Overweight
- High cholesterol levels
- Inactive lifestyle
- Family history of cardiovascular disease or aneurysms
During a vascular screening, a few different tests are performed to check the health of your blood vessels.
Blocked carotid arteries increase your risk of stroke. A carotid artery ultrasound checks those important arteries in your neck and estimates the amount of blockage or narrowing in them.
The major artery located in the abdomen is called the abdominal aorta. For those at a higher risk, an abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound could help identify potentially life-threatening aneurysms. The ultrasound looks for weak, bulging spots in the abdominal aorta and measures the size of the blood vessel.
The Ankle Brachial Index is the ratio of blood pressure at the ankle to the blood pressure in the upper arm. Using blood pressure cuffs on the arms and directly above the ankles, abnormal results could indicate a high risk of PAD due to narrow or blocked arteries and/or plaque buildup in the lower extremities.
All three of these tests are completed in one office visit, quickly and with little to no discomfort. If you have more than one risk factor, consider taking this PAD Risk Assessment and contacting your primary care physician.
Summa Health Heart and Vascular Institute is a nationally-recognized healthcare organization dedicated to providing compassionate, patient-centered heart care. The Institute is the largest multidisciplinary cardiovascular medical team in the tri-county region, delivering a full range of heart and vascular services supported by experts from various disciplines. Appointments are available at more than a dozen convenient office locations in Summit, Medina and Portage Counties. With so many locations, our cardiac patients can expect to receive the right care at the right time – no matter where they choose to receive it within the Summa Health System.
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