Stroke Screening

Every 53 seconds someone suffers a stroke.

• It is the third leading cause of death in the United States striking over 700,000 Americans each year.
• It is the leading cause of serious long-term disability with about 4.5 million stroke survivors.
• Nearly three-quarters of all stokes occur in people over the age of 65 and the risk of have a stroke doubles each decade after the age of 55.

Ultrasound Services, Inc.'s stroke screening protocol searches for plaques and disturbed flow in the carotid arteries.  Restricted blood flow in these arteries, located on either side of the neck, is the leading cause of stroke.  If these arteries are clogged by fatty plaques, blood cannot flow easily to the brain and this puts an individual at increased risk of obstruction or clotting.  Early detection permits your physician to more closely monitor your condition and prescribe appropriate medication changes and/or lifestyle improvements.  Treatment that is provided early on in the disease process, before symptoms are present, can prevent many strokes from occurring. 

If you believe you are suffering a stroke it is important to get to a hospital as soon as possible for the available treatments to be most effective.  Symptoms may vary depending on where the stroke occurs within the brain and often only affect one side of the body.  Some symptoms to look for are:

• numbness
• muscle weakness, especially in the face
• altered sensory perception (taste, smell, hearing, vision)
• difficulty balancing, vertigo
• memory loss
• confusion

• difficulty walking

Some risk factors which put an individual at increased risk of suffering a stroke are heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption, elevated cholesterol levels, drug use and family history.  Many of these risk factors may be improved with medication or lifestyle changes.  If you believe you might be at risk of suffering a stroke, get screened today and begin your treatment now. 

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening

The abdominal aorta is the main artery that carries blood down from the heart to the rest of the body. Over time, the walls of this artery can become weakened and the pressure caused by the blood being pumped through results in ballooning. It is estimated that up to 7% of Americans over the age of 60 have AAA.

Once the AAA is 5 cm in diameter, it becomes necessary to treat in order to prevent rupture. The larger an aneurysm, the more likely it is to burst. A ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm causes profuse bleeding and often death. A study, analyzing 703 cases of this, found that after a rupture patients only survived through surgery 18% of the time.

The biggest concern regarding AAA is that it often ruptures without any warning whatsoever.  In fact, it is estimated that AAA was symptomless in three out of four cases before it was diagnosed. It is often caught by chance through a diagnostic study being administered for some other condition. When symptoms are present, they can include:

• pain in the abdomen, back or side, possibly radiating down through the body
• pulsating feeling in the abdomen
• sudden and severe pain may indicate a ruptured AAA and requires immediate care

The symptomless nature of AAA has given it a reputation for being a "silent killer." However, a screening like that which is offered as part of the Live Safe Vascular Screening Package can detect even symptomless AAA. The Live Safe protocol for screening for AAA searches for, captures an image and measures the largest diameter of the abdominal aorta. With treatment, such as surgery, the danger of a rupture can be eliminated 95% of the time.

In much the same way that Carotid Artery Disease is associated with plaque build up in the arteries of the neck Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is a build up of plaque in the arteries of the pelvis and/or legs. It is a condition that affects eight million Americans.  However only about 10% of those with PAD have the classic symptom of intermittent claudication (IC is the sensation of cramping in the legs during walking or exercise and is due to a lack of oxygen in the lower extremities).  About 40% of those with PAD do not complain of leg pain at all.  The remaining 50% have a variety of leg symptoms different from classic claudication. 

Individuals with PAD, compared to those without, have four-to-five times the risk of dying of a cardiovascular disease event.

Certain people might be at an increased risk of suffering from peripheral arterial disease.  These risk factors include elevated cholesterol or blood pressure levels, diabetes and smoking.  Also, factors such as age, gender, race, weight and family or personal history can factor into an individual's risk of having of PAD.

The screening protocol that Ultrasound Services, Inc., has developed for peripheral arterial disease identifies the pressure and blood flow characteristics of the arterial system in the legs. Professional cardiology organizations support PAD screening based on the significant role it plays in heart disease. Early recognition of this disease permits physician monitoring and appropriate medication changes and lifestyle improvement. This will impact the prognosis of any heart disease as well as delay damage to the tissue of the legs and feet.

Ultrasound Services, Inc. is an accredited provider of vascular screening. For more information on what accreditation means to you, please visit Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories.