Four Medical Tests that Can Save Your Life

Are you aware that stroke is the third leading killer in America? Every time you turn around you hear that someone had just have a stroke. Stroke patients also become the number one cause for nursing home or assisted living. Since there are no warning signs for stroke, these four tests below can help save your life.

1. Stroke Screening/Carotid Artery. This will test for plague buildup in your neck artery walls. Plague buildup consists of calcium and cholesterol, and will constrict blood flow to your brain or log up in your blood vessel, causing a stroke. Every 10 years, the risk of stroke doubles for people over the age of 55, and 97% of the adult population cannot name a single symptom.

2. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening. This will test for "ballooning" in the wall of your abdominal aorta, which often cause by plague buildup. The majority of people with AAA have no symptoms. If an AAA ruptures, the mortality rate is as high as 80 percent, and many not surviving long enough to reach a hospital. More than 15,000 U.S. residents die of AAAs per year. The good news is that AAAs can be identified in minutes without pain, non-invasive ultrasound screening.

3. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Screening. This screen for peripheral arterial disease (plague buildup in the arms/legs) in the lower extremities which is linked to coronary artery disease. Eight to twelve million people suffer from PAD. An estimate of 12-17% of people over the age of 50 has PAD. Smokers and diabetic people are at higher risk. Moreover, Diabetic PAD is responsible for about 50% of all amputations.

4. Osteoporosis Screening. This test screens for abnormal bone mass density in men and women. Osteoporosis is painless and silent in its early stages. The most common place for bones to snap is hips, wrist, and spine. Bone mineral density (BMT) test can provide information about the risk of suffering a fracture. This test will help you and your doctor deciding on what to do to prevent further bone density loss. Women who had menopause for over 5-7 years are at higher risk of bone fracture. About 80% of 10 million Americans with osteoporosis are women, and beyond that, some risk factors are common to both sexes.
These 4 tests use ultrasound technology which can visualize the inside of your carotid arteries. As you already knew, ultrasound testing is painless and non-evasive procedure. These tests can be done in less than an hour, and the cost is relatively low, round $150.00. Take into consideration the quality of life when you are looking at the cost of these tests. If your health insurance won't pay for it, isn't your life worth that expense? Early detection allows your doctor to advice you on the appropriately course of action to prevent stroke.