A Clever Device That Can Detect Heart Disease In Its Early Stages
Almost 33% of people with heart disease have no idea they have it. That is quite a scary figure and definitely not a little statistical blip in the health radar. There are many heart attack symptoms that resemble other ailments which is a big reason why this 33% figure is so high. In fact, some people never know they have heart disease because they will just drop dead – a sudden death.
What if you knew there was a small machine in your doctor's office that could scan the arteries in your neck (a common area where plaque can develop in the vessels)? Would you make a special doctor's appointment or ask that it be used during your regular yearly physical? Comprehensive testing for heart disease sometimes requires an overnight hospital visit or at least an extensive battery of tests taken on expensive hospital equipment. However, with this new ultrasound machine weighing in at less than two pounds and the size of a laptop, heart disease could be found early enough to make a big difference in your life.
This machine is a smaller version of an ultrasound machine so it's portable enough to scan the arteries in your neck for possible blockage. The theory most doctors have is that if the neck arteries show signs of the plaque build-up or even clogging, chances are the same thing is happening around the arteries of the heart as well. When the clogging or plaque build-up is apparent, more tests could be run to reach a definitive diagnosis. Knowing this information sooner rather than later could allow you to start taking medication to help alleviate the problem and reduce your risk of heart attack.
The good news for doctors is that this new miniature ultrasound machine is affordable so it can easily become a part of the diagnostic tool set they need to be more effective. Of course, this means you (the patient) do not have to expend a lot of money on testing. The primary objective for this new machine is to identify those people who may have no discernible or known heart attack symptoms but do have a genetic or predisposed risk of heart disease.
Keep in mind that the new machine only helps with a preliminary diagnosis of possible heart disease. It is not the only test that should be taken to determine risk. It is a great diagnostic tool for those doctors who are concerned that their patients have a possible risk of heart disease. If any conclusive results do occur, a referral for more comprehensive tests should be made for you. The prescription of medications for cholesterol, high blood pressure or the heart should not be made by the results of this one new ultrasound machine.
There is a move to market these ultrasound machines directly to the consumer but many doctors feel this may not be wise. The chance that false positives could result from personal ultrasound machines is quite high. Specialized training to administer the ultrasound machine is needed as well as interpreting results, something a layman like you would likely not be able to do.
The next time you are in for a physical; ask about the new ultrasound machine. When it comes to your health, especially heart disease, ignorance is definitely not bliss.
