The
procedure is simple,
painless, and non-invasive.
You will be asked to lie on
your back on an exam table.
After applying gel to your
neck, the technologist will
use ultrasound technology on
your neck to create images
of the carotid arteries and
assess the rate of blood
flow within them.
It is
definitely recommended for
anyone over 50, anyone with
current heart disease or
stroke eor anyone with a
family history of heart
disease and stroke.
Results
are immediate and then
reviewed by a radiologist.
Counseling and reproducible
educational materials are
provided.
Arterial stiffness is now
recognized as important in
predicting cardiovascular
disease.
Arteries stiffen as a
consequence of age and
atherosclerosis. The two
leading causes of death in
the developed world,
myocardial infarction and
stroke, are both a direct
consequence of
atherosclerosis and
increased arterial stiffness
is associated with an
increased risk of
cardiovascular events.
The ASI
is a number that correlates
with arteriosclerosis. Since
normal arteries are supple,
flexible and elastic, and
stretch with each heartbeat,
they have a low arterial
stiffness index (ASI).
Diseased arteries, as in
arteriosclerosis or
"hardening of the arteries",
do not flex or expand as
they should and thus have a
higher ASI.
Why is it important to know
how flexible arteries are?
Arteries are responsible for
moving the majority of the
blood through the vascular
tree. Consequently,
non-flexible or hardened
arteries cause the heart to
work much harder when it is
forced to push blood through
partially occluded vessels.
This extra strain on the
heart and the resulting
blockages are a root cause
of cardiovascular disease.
Similarly, if the carotid
artery is non-flexible and
partially occluded, this can
impede blood flow to the
brain which may result in
stroke.
Who should be screened?
ASI testing can identify
people who don’t even think
they have a cardiovascular
problem because they are
non-smokers and exercise
regularly and watch their
diet.
The ASI can be viewed as
another cardiovascular “risk
factor”, just like high
blood pressure or a
cholesterol level above 200.
A high to very high ASI
value indicates a high to
very high risk of coronary
artery disease. When added
to other health risk factors
can indicate a need for
lifestyle modification.
How is the test
performed?
Very simply. It is just
like having your blood
pressure taken. Counseling
and reproducible educational
materials are always
included.
Arterial stiffness is an
important determinant of
pulse pressure, and of left
ventricular load and
caused by carotid artery
disease. The brain
receives its blood
supply from the carotid
arteries, two large
arteries in the neck.
(If you lightly touch
your neck on the outer
edge of your trachea
(windpipe) you can feel
the pulse in your
carotid artery.) In
carotid artery disease
the arteries become
narrowed, usually from a
build up of cholesterol,
fat and other substances
inside of the artery
(this buildup is called
plaque).