Vascular Testing
Heart attack and stroke are the number one killers in North America. Prior
to now there has been no effective non-invasive way to determine risk. Vascular
testing is the most cost-effective way to determine risk with vascular flexibility.
Vascular testing measures blood pressure, records pulse, pulse pressure (systolic
minus diastolic blood pressure), and provides additional cardiovascular information
(Arterial Stiffness Index - ASI) for the doctor. The ASI is a number that correlates
with a tendency towards arteriosclerosis. The higher the ASI the more likely
someone has arteriosclerosis. Blood pressure provides important clinical information
on the blood circulation system since the actual blood pressure level is a function
of cardiovascular dynamics that are determined by the strength of the heartbeat
and the overall condition of the arterial system.
Vascular testing with blood work consists of cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL/LDL,
and creatinine. Blood work interpretation is based on the ongoing Framingham
Heart Study (started in 1949 and still going) that identifies the major risk
factors for heart disease and calculates percentage risk of a coronary event
in the next 10 years based upon this study of 5205 individuals over more than
50 years.
