This is a sponsored post with Life Line Screening. Any opinions are 100% my own.
The carotid artery is the major blood vessel that runs up the neck and to the brain. If it becomes blocked with a clot or arterial plaque the result is a potentially deadly stroke.
Our technicians use an ultrasound machine to scan the carotid artery and to check for any plaque buildup in this critical area.
The carotid artery is just one indicator of overall cardiovascular health. That’s why we perform this screening as a part of our 5-Part Health Screening Package. Done together, these five screenings give us a much more complete picture of your health.
What is Carotid Artery Disease?
Carotid artery disease is also known as carotid stenosis. It occurs when plaque builds up in the carotid arteries. You have two carotid arteries, one on each side of the neck, which carry blood to the brain. Plaque is made up of cholesterol, calcium, and other cellular substances and it can collect in the arteries, making the arteries stiffer and narrower. This is defined as carotid artery disease, which is a form of atherosclerosis.
Clogged arteries do not deliver blood and oxygen as well as they should to the brain. Carotid artery disease develops slowly over time as people age, and most people have no symptoms. In fact, for 4 out of 5 people who have a stroke, the first symptom they experience is the stroke.
People who have carotid artery disease, which is a form of atherosclerosis, can often have plaque buildup in arteries in other parts of the body as well. Carotid artery disease is a major risk factor for strokes because plaque can either break off and travel to the brain, or it can block blood flow to the brain, resulting in a stroke that could cause permanent brain damage or death.
What is Carotid Artery Disease Screening?
The best way to check for carotid artery disease is to undergo a screening.
Carotid artery screening is conducted via a non-invasive color flow ultrasound in which a technician creates a series of images of the carotid arteries while also measuring blood flow through them. After a board-certified physician reviews your results from the screening, the results letter will indicate the degree of plaque buildup for each of your two arteries on a scale of normal (no plaque identified and blood flow is normal) to significant (large amount of plaque identified, and blood flow is significantly reduced).
This allows people with normal, mild, or moderate carotid artery blockage to compare the results of each screening to previous screening results, determining if the plaque buildup has gotten worse. Plaque buildup can be progressive without treatment, getting worse over time.
Early identification of risk, before symptoms are present, allow you and your doctor to take action if necessary. Plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) can occur in any of the arteries in the body. This is one reason the simple ultrasound of the carotid arteries is so valuable: it helps people understand their risk of developing atherosclerosis in other areas of the body as well.
Physicians who are on the front lines of vascular disease believe in these tests—9 out of 10 cardiovascular doctors support preventive health screenings for cardiovascular disease among people with key risk factors.
What causes carotid artery disease?
Certain risk factors increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and carotid artery disease. The contributing factors are:
- Age 55+
- Family history of cardiovascular disease, heart disease, or stroke
- Smoking (past or present)
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- High Cholesterol
- Obesity
Side Note: I wish I’d known about Life Line screening. I had major clogged arteries up to 99% clogged and have as of today 5-6 stents to enable my blood to flow properly.
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