Life Line Tests For Stroke And Other Vascular Diseases

By Kaaren Valenta

Stroke strikes about 750,000 Americans each year and claims 160,000 lives. It is the third leading cause of death among men, the second leading cause among women. Rehabilitation and treatment for survivors costs about $30 billion a year.

Yet many strokes can be prevented through early detection, medicine, and lifestyle changes.

Abdominal aneurysms and blockages in the arteries of the legs can be detected before they become serious as can osteoporosis, through technology developed by modern medicine. This technology now is available by using quick, low-cost, noninvasive ultrasound screenings.

Life Line Screening will bring that technology to St Rose Parish School on Monday, June 29. Its visit is sponsored by the St Rose Parish Nurse Ministry, an affiliate of St Vincent’s Medical Center.

“Life Line was begun by a woman whose mother had a stroke immediately after going to her doctor for a regular checkup and being told she was fine,” explained Doreen Palmer, a registered nurse who works for the company, which is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

“The typical scenario for a stroke is that there is no warning sign, or the person doesn’t know what the warning signs are. The symptom goes away so the person forgets about it,” Ms Palmer explained. “Yet stroke is the number one cause of disability in the United States and the number one cause of nursing home admissions.”

For each decade after age 55 the risk of stroke doubles.

The warning signs for a stroke include a sudden severe headache; visual disturbance in one or both eyes; slurring words or difficulty speaking sentences that make sense; weakness or numbness on one side of the body in the face, arm, or leg; dizziness; loss of muscle control or coordination.

“If someone has any of these symptoms, you should assume the worst, hope for the best, and get to a hospital as quickly as possible,” Ms Palmer said. “There are wonderful new medications for strokes if they are given within three hours. But not everyone survives a stroke. You must act quickly.”

The most common form of stroke occurs when a blood vessel is blocked, shutting down blood flow to the brain. Brain cells die, leading to a loss of the function those cells once controlled, such as limbs, speech, or other bodily functions. A massive stroke can kill.

“Strokes are brain attacks –– the interference of the flow of blood to the brain,” Ms Palmer said. “The two carotid arteries bring blood to the brain. The most common stroke is caused by plaque buildup in the carotid artery.”

Strokes run in families. The risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity and poor diet, and heart disease, especially an irregular heartbeat known as Arterial Fibrillation (AF).

Physicians usually check for plaque buildup by listening for a swishing sound, called a bruit, made by the blood in an artery. “But a study [in the Journal of Clinical Ultrasound] confirmed that 73 percent of the patients with confirmed artery stenosis did not have a bruit,” Ms Palmer said. “That’s where ultrasound comes in. Using ultrasound, Life Line found 1,890 people at severe risk of stroke.”

In the carotid artery/stroke screening, a technician applies an acoustic gel on the neck over the carotid arteries. A painless instrument, called a transducer, is moved over the neck to, show via ultrasound, the inside of the carotid artery.

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a weak area in the wall of the abdominal aorta, the artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The abdominal aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. When it ruptures, there is an 80 to 94 percent mortality rate. The symptoms may include a sudden, severe backache, and occasionally a stomach ache.

Risk factors for AAA include family history, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, smoking, diabetes, obesity, and preexisting heart disease.

Like the ultrasound test on carotid arteries, ultrasound can be used to detect an abdominal aortic aneurysm. It also can be used to screen for peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a vascular disease in which there is plaque buildup in the legs. The usual symptom is aching legs that feel better with resting. PAD is a strong predictor of heart disease and a frequent complication of diabetes. The PAD screening uses an ankle brachial index (ABI) developed by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. To do the screening, a technician places blood pressure cuffs and a Doppler ultrasound probe on the arms and ankles.

Osteoporosis is painless and silent in its early stages. Loss of bone density is a common condition among women over age 45 and men over age 50. It can result in fragile or brittle bones that fracture easily. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, bone breakdown can start as early as age 30.

Risk factors include family history, smoking, being a postmenopausal female, smoking, having undergone thyroid replacement therapy, cortisone therapy, low consumption of calcium, and lack of weight-bearing exercise.

In an osteoporosis screening, patients place their foot into an ultrasound unit that measures the density of the bone.

Each of the four screenings take only a few minutes; the results are reviewed by a board-certified physician. Results are sent to the patient. Any persons who are identified as having a possible problem and needing follow-up, are referred to their own doctor. The vascular tests are $45 each or all three for $99. The osteoporosis screening is $35. All four tests are available for $125.

Medicare does not cover the cost of these screening tests. Life Line also does not file insurance claims.

Appointments are required by calling 800-407-4557. Life Line has a website at www.lifelinescreening.com.