Showing posts with label artery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label artery. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Detecting danger: Stroke survivor says free screening saved her live

A story worth reading was recently in The Daily News Tribune (Waltham, Mass) and tells the story of Massachusetts General Hospital employee and, on a whim, stopped in a corridor for a free ultrasound carotid artery screening, just happened to be offered at the hospital Feb. 13.

Turns out she had 90 percent blockage in her right carotid artery, putting her in high risk for a stroke. Doctor's at the hospital's vascular center did a procedure and cleared the blockage, drastically reducing the risk.

Now, some experts say you shouldn't just have a screening on a whim. A good article from About.com makes some good points about false readings. However, the About.com writer does suggest that some people - those with a family history or those with known vascular disease - might be good candidates.

With Stroke Awareness Month just behind us, a good suggestion: Consider your own history and act accordingly. Keep in mind that this is from a non-doctor. Why not ask your own doctor for advice?