Vascular Surgery Recommends Artery Screening Tests
Of the 700,000 strokes in the US annually, at least 30% are attributed to blockage of carotid arteries. Other problems associated with this type of obstruction are aneurysms. Recent efforts, including legislation passed by Congress, are geared to drawing attention to stroke education and prevention.
In concert with this recent attention, the Society for Vascular Surgery recently recommended three tests to screen for arterial disease; including carotid ultrasound, an “ankle-brachial” test, and abdominal ultrasound. These three tests detect fatty plaque build up in different key arteries.
The testing is recommended for persons over age 55 who have cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes among others.
One debate is how to efficiently obtain the tests and, more particularly, the costs associated with such; not all are covered by Medicare and thus, then private insurers too. The new recommendations from the respected group of vascular surgeons, if deemed cost effective, may inform modifications to standard guidelines and procure insurer support.
Related stories:
- Stroke Legislation Passed
- AAA Screening Now Covered by Medicare
- Carotid Stents On the Rise
- Mass. Hospitals Try Out Remote Stroke Diagnosis
April 19, 2007 Related topics: Standards, Diagnostic, Surgery, Evaluation & assessment