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straight neck scan could offer an important early warning system for heart failure According to new research, in men.
This non-invasive technique, similar to ultrasound scans done during pregnancy, has been described by researchers as “safe, inexpensive and painless.”
He suggests that general practitioners may consider offering it to male patients over the age of 60.
The procedure, known as a carotid ultrasound, takes only 15 to 30 minutes, in which a small handheld device is gently passed over the neck.
It enables medical professionals to assess the elasticity of the carotid arteries – the primary vessels supplying blood to the brain, face and neck.
While these major arteries are naturally elastic, they can become stiff due to age or disease, a condition associated with high blood pressure, heart failure, and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
study, led by University College London (UCL) included 1,631 men aged 71 to 92 years.
The quarter of people with the least flexible arteries included in the analysis were 2.5 times more likely to develop heart failure than those with the most flexible arteries.
The researchers used data from the British Regional Heart Study, which began in the 1970s, and more research is needed to determine whether the method works in women.
Dr Atinuke Akinmolayan, an academic clinical fellow at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), who led the research from UCL and is now a GP, said: “Carotid ultrasound is a safe, inexpensive and painless test, and our findings suggest it may be able to provide early warning signs for heart failure.
“More research is needed, particularly to see whether it works for women, but it is something that GPs could consider offering to people over the age of 60 where possible and needed.
“A patient whose ultrasound results indicate that he or she may have a higher risk of heart failure in the future can have an important conversation with his or her doctor about lifestyle changes to reduce that risk.”
The British Heart Foundation (BHF), which partly funded the research, estimates that around 920,000 people in the UK are living with heart failure.
Elsewhere, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association looked at the thickness of the carotid arteries.
Researchers found that men with thickened blood vessels were more likely to have a heart attack.
Studies show that for every 0.16 millimeter increase in thickness, the risk of heart attack increases by approximately 29%.
Professor Brian Williams, Chief Scientist and Medical Officer at BHF, said: “The findings of this study are interesting and show that hardening of the arteries is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, most likely because the heart has to work harder against the resistance caused by these hardened arteries.
“This is an important indication that whenever we detect such changes in the carotid arteries, we should also think about the potential impact on the heart and the increased risk of heart failure, which we have treatment strategies to prevent.”
A separate study led by UCL suggests a 10-minute scan could help millions of people suffering from high blood pressure.
It targets people whose adrenal glands produce too much of the aldosterone hormone, which regulates salt levels in the body.
It is estimated that this problem affects about a quarter of people with high blood pressure.
The scan, developed by UCL, is designed to detect overactivity in the adrenal glands that may be missed by conventional tests.
Professor Williams, who is Chair of Medicine at UCL and clinical lead for the study, said: “We have been waiting for a trial like this for decades.
“This British innovation will transform the diagnosis of aldosterone excess as an important and previously hidden cause of hypertension in many of our patients.”