Get the Facts About What a Vascular Screening Can Do for You

At a recent checkup, your primary care provider may have recommended you have a vascular screening. What is this screening, and what can it tell you about your health?

The results of a vascular screening at Beaufort Memorial can reveal a lot.

“A vascular screening can be an invaluable tool to learn more about your risk of stroke and certain other health issues,” says Missy Dawson, a vascular technologist at Beaufort Memorial who performs the screening. “If you’re 50 or older and have chronic health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, talk with your health care provider about this screening.”

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Understanding Vascular Health

Your cardiovascular system includes your heart and all the blood vessels that run throughout your body. While cardiovascular diseases can affect any part of your cardiovascular system, including your heart, vascular diseases affect the circulatory system, including the blood vessels, and can be serious and even life-threatening.

While stroke is the most common and recognizable form of vascular disease, other vascular health conditions include carotid artery disease, peripheral artery disease (PAD), atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm.

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What’s Included in a Vascular Screening

Your primary care provider can keep an eye on your risk factors for heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. While knowing your risk factors provides you with helpful information, a vascular screening goes a step further.

Vascular screening is recommended if you’re age 50 or older and have a family history of vascular disease or other risk factors, including diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, as well as being a smoker.

A vascular screening includes three components:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm scan, which offers an in-depth look at the size of the abdominal aorta, a portion of the body’s largest blood vessel
• Ankle-brachial index scan, which is a quick test to determine whether you have PAD by checking and comparing the blood pressure in arteries located in your arms and ankles
• Carotid artery ultrasound, which captures images of the carotid arteries that are used to evaluate blood flow from the heart to the brain

While vascular screening isn’t covered by insurance, this inexpensive panel of tests can offer your health care providers detailed information about whether you are at risk of vascular health issues. If you’re diagnosed with vascular disease, a team of providers at Beaufort Memorial, including a vascular surgeon, can help guide your care.

Want to learn more about your risk for vascular health issues like stroke? Request an appointment for a $60 vascular screening.