A new mobile screening unit is providing valuable information that could lead to early detection of cardiovascular disease.
"Using this technique, we are able to find signs of vascular disease long before people have symptoms, which could include, of course, heart attack or sudden cardiac death," cardiologist William Hughes told CTV's Canada AM.
The mobile device is placed on the neck and scans the two major arteries in the neck. Working much like an ultrasound machine, the machine takes a snapshot of an artery in the neck and takes about 20 minutes to perform.
The device monitors the thickness of the artery to determine if plaque is accumulating. The cholesterol that resides in the arteries is called plaque. When plaque ruptures, it can form a clot capable of blocking one of the coronary arteries.
"It turns out that the thickness of the artery predicts the likelihood of whether you might have a bad event from a heart attack, stroke or even sudden death," Hughes said.
Doctors can use the results from the mobile screening unit to proactively perform procedures such as angioplasty and vascular therapy to prevent future cardiovascular problems.
Cardiovascular diseases are the cause of death for one in three Canadians. Traditional methods of detecting cardiovascular problems and risk levels for heart attacks and strokes are determined by information such as age, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Hughes said the lack of structured screening in this country and in most countries around the world can often mean that people find out they have cardiovascular problems too late.
"The problem is that most times people wait and even their doctors wait until there are symptoms and unfortunately, sometimes the first symptom is the heart attack or sudden death," Hughes said.
