CIMT
(carotid intima-media thickness)
The ArterioVision™ CIMT diagnostic/therapeutic tool is used in conjunction with standard ultrasound to precisely measure the thickness of the two inner layers of the carotid artery. Research has shown that arterial thickening provides the earliest, noninvasively-detected evidence of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries – the cause of heart disease and stroke. This test provides, among other risk metrics, a comparison of the patient’s current age to ‘arterial age’ in a uniquely FDA-cleared, easy-to-understand report.
The imaging technology utilized for this exam was originally created by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., to analyze images captured during numerous lunar and planetary probes, including the Voyager and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Although tremendous progress has been made over the past 50 years in understanding the relationship between risk factors and the development of atherosclerosis, our ability to predict cardiovascular events using conventional tools is limited. Traditional risk factors were developed for populations in order to assess an individual’s susceptibility. More information is needed – personalized medicine – which CIMT helps us provide.
The test is used to
Detect risk for heart disease and stroke, even in patients without symptoms, as well as monitor those with known disease.
Preparing for the test
No patient preparation is required for this test.
What to expect during the test
The approximately 30-minute procedure is noninvasive, safe, painless, convenient, highly accurate and inexpensive.
What to expect after the test
Immediately following the test, the technician will ask you to wait in the waiting room while the test is being analyzed. You will receive a summary of the results and the full report will be placed in your medical record.
Before you leave the office, you will be scheduled for a follow up exam with your cardiologist to discuss the results.
Studies have shown that it is possible for one’s CIMT value to decrease over time; therefore, through serial examination, we can follow the patient’s score, measure treatment effectiveness and lifestyle improvement, and monitor risk for future events. Based on CIMT results, we can work with our patients and referring physicians to institute therapies and recommend lifestyle modifications to help stop and even reverse heart disease.