2/9/07 -- News article
YOU CAN SEE THE PLAQUE IN YOUR CAROTID ATERIES FOR $250
Some patients are paying for a new preventative procedure, called a Carotid
IMT. It allows you to see old and new plaque inside your arteries and helps doctors
assess your chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
Dr. Steven Masley uses it to motivate patients to make lifestyle changes before
medication or an invasive procedure is needed. Dr. Masley says if the plaque
is not smooth and appears irregular in shape, it's a sign a patient is currently
growing plaque. He says the Carotid IMT compares images against a database
to determine if a patient is growing plaque faster than normal.
Dr. Steven Masley, Medical Director, says, “Our goal is to prevent a
heart attack or stroke. So you can actually look into the future and see where
you're
heading
but you can change that. That's
the best part.”
Most hospitals and clinics already offer diagnostic carotid doppler ultrasounds
that look for advanced carotid obstructions that may require surgery or heart
CT scans that look at old calcified plaque. The Carotid IMT is different because
it looks at old and new plaque currently growing.
The Carotid IMT costs about $250. It's considered preventative so it is not
covered by most insurance companies.
Let's assume you are a 55 to 75 year old man and you have been told by your doctor that (a) your cholesterol is high and (b) he wants to have you take drugs to reduce the level. In that case, wouldn't it make sense to first find out if you have abnormal plaque in your arteries? Why would you take medicine if your arteries are clean?
I, a 75 year old man was faced with this advice from my doctor. After a number of contentious discussions, I demanded a test to determine the condition of my carotid artery. My arteries turned out to be clean and I refused to take the statin he prescribed.
Martin R. Carbone