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Cardiovascular Disease Facts
Are you at risk? Many patients do not fully understand the risks associated with cardiovascular disorders or factors contributing to the disease. Age and family genetics can contribute to the likelihood of developing arterial problems but there are also contributing factors that we can control:
Once diagnosed, arterial problems may be treated via a plan that a physician will develop. The plan may include:
Below you will find an explanation of three common arterial problems; carotid artery blockage, abdominal aortic aneurism (AAA), and peripheral artery disease (PAD).
Carotid Artery Blockage
Excessive plaque buildup in carotid arteries can restrict free flow of blood to the brain. It may also cause blood clots to form which can travel in the blood to the brain and may block or restrict blood supply to smaller vessels. This condition may result in a stroke. Treatment of this condition depends on the amount of plaque buildup and the patient's symptoms. A physician may order a carotid duplex ultrasound to determine the severity of plaque buildup. Treatment may range from making lifestyle changes to medication or surgical procedures.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurism (AAA)
Unfortunately, there usually aren't any symptoms. AAA is usually found when a patient undergoes unrelated test. Once a patient is diagnosed with AAA, a physician will order an aorta duplex ultrasound to measure the size of the aneurism. Treatment depends on the size of the aneurism and may range from monitoring (in case of small aneurism) to endovascular surgical procedures.
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)
No one should ignore pain in their legs as it is usually the first symptom of PAD. If walking even short distances is uncomfortable, one should seek medical assistance. Treatment of PAD depends largely on how constricted the artery has become. Treatment may range from lifestyle changes (like proper diet or quitting smoking), exercise which improves circulation, and medicine, to surgery if blood flow is severely hampered. Statistics from American Heart Association Imaging tests help diagnose arterial problems. They allow physicians to ascertain the severity of the problem by viewing blood flow through the arteries. Lucid Diagnostic Imaging specializes in providing doppler/duplex ultrasound imaging which uses sound waves to detect blood flow and record images of arteries. Ultrasound procedures are non-invasive and are painless. A technician moves a transducer over an area of a patient's body to capture the images onto a machine. Those images, along with a report, are then sent to an interpreting specialist who views the images and report and performs an analysis of the study. The interpreting physician makes his findings known to the ordering doctor after he/she has completed the interpretation. |
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The
abdominal aorta carries blood from your heart, through your abdomen, to the
lower body. A life-threatening condition may occur when the wall of the
aorta is weakened and begins to stretch as shown in the picture to the left.
If the artery is stretched too much, the aorta may burst.
When
blood flow through an artery in the lower body becomes restricted, the blood
flow to lower extremities may be reduced or blocked. Insufficient blood
supply to legs or feet may cause discomfort, damage tissue, or even cause
gangrene.