PHOENIX – Abrazo Health is bringing stroke and heart attack risk assessments to community events with AngioScreen, a portable screening of the body’s circulatory system. The low-cost vascular assessment can help identify potential artery blockages and irregular heart rhythms, and takes only about 10 minutes.

A clinician provides a brief consultation to explain risks for stroke, heart attack or peripheral artery disease. Participants get color ultrasound photos of the carotid arteries and exam results, which they are encouraged to share with their personal physician for follow up.

AngioScreen can help provide participants with information about their vascular system that may indicate risk for heart attacks, stroke or peripheral artery disease (PAD). A person can have PAD, which could increase risk for heart attack or stroke, and not even know it, said Abrazo Cardiologist and AngioScreen Medical Advisor Gopi Cherukuri, MD.

Heart disease is still the leading cause of death for both men and women. Someone has a heart attack every 30 seconds. Someone has a stroke every 40 seconds and every year, more than 795,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke, according to the CDC.

The AngioScreen risk assessments can also be performed at employer worksites as well as community events, said Abrazo Health Outreach Manager Cindy Roberts, RN.

Roberts noted that while a clinician will review results with AngioScreen participants, an individual’s personal physician is best qualified to fully interpret the significance of the measurements and ultrasound images in the context of an individual’s personal medical history.

“The AngioScreen information can be used by participants to share with their doctor and should not replace regular examinations and consultations with their personal physician,” said Roberts.

Visit our Events page to see our latest schedule of screenings.