Ultrasound Test Could Reduce Death and Costly Disabilities from Stroke
| "Roughly one-half of all stroke deaths, and a lot of the permanent disability, could be prevented with the carotid ultrasound test."
— William R. Flinn, Chief of Vascular Surgery, University of Maryland, as quoted in the Wall Street Journal, 9/24/04 |
A inexpensive ultrasound test could reduce stroke deaths and save disability costs that result from stroke, according to two recent reports in the Wall Street Journal.1 Unfortunately, the test, which measures the degree of plaque build-up in the carotid arteries, is not used widely, according to the Journal. One of the reasons is that Medicare and private insurance companies do not pay for it.
Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the U.S, affecting more than 1 million people, and the number three killer in the U.S.
The article also cited another inexpensive non-imaging test, the ankle-brachial test, which can provide a clear sense of plaque build-up in the body.
Dr. Eric J. Topol, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, said he was surprised that the tests had not been more widely adopted, according to the Journal. "There is no risk, there is little cost, and there are hardly any false positives or false negatives," Topol told the Journal.
1"Warning Signs: Two Simple Tests Can Prevent Stroke, But Few Get Them," Thomas M. Burton, Wall Street Journal, p. 1-A, September 24, 2004; "Screening for Artery Disease is Good Idea for People Over 60," Thomas M. Burton, The Wall Street Journal, p. B-3, September 24, 2004.
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