Carotid Intima-Media Thickness

(CIMT) for blockage, thickness and blood flow of carotid arteries

  • Can blocked and stiff arteries cause stroke, circulation issues, chest pain, heart attack and end my life prematurely? Yes. stiff arteries are usually also thickened and block circulation to the heart muscle. Blocked circulation to the myocardium causes a myocardial infarction or heart attack. Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women.
  • Can diet, exercise, stress reduction, nutritional supplements and good sleep hygiene really cure arterial blockage and thickness? Many studies have demonstrated tdof these healthy lifestyle factors can and often do reverse all or at least some arterial blockage and thickness that can lead to premature death.

  • Can hormones and herbs help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke? Yes, studies have been done that demonstrate the relationship of healthy hormonal balance and herbal nutrition to improved cardiovascular outcomes.

Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) – not your ordinary carotid artery sonogram test!

WHAT IS CIMT (Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness)?

CIMT is a new non-invasive ultrasound test that is being recommended by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology to screen for heart disease in apparently healthy individuals ages 45 or greater.  CIMT stands for Carotid Intima-Media Thickness.

Staying abreast of the latest medical techniques and protocols, Dr. Michael Wald offers our new CardioHealth ® testing as part of their biomarker and cardiovascular health program.

HOW IS THE TEST PERFORMED?

This is a noninvasive test which is performed with a high-resolution B-mode ultrasound transducer. The test is safe, painless and takes about twenty minutes. After applying conducting jelly to the skin over your neck, a small hand-held transducer is applied to image the carotid arteries. The sonographer measures the combined thicknesses of the intimal and medial layers of the carotid artery walls.

WHY LOOK AT THE NECK WHEN YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE HEART?

The carotid arteries provide a “window” to the coronary arteries. Not only do they have similar risk factors – more importantly, the relationship between the atherosclerotic burden in a carotid artery and a coronary artery is the same as between any two coronary arteries. Thus carotic aterosclerosis provides a window to the degree of coronary atherosclerosis in an individual. CIMT is an independent predictor of future cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, cardiac death, and stroke.

WHAT IS VASCULAR AGE?

CIMT is a value which tends to increase with age. Published studies of CIMT measurements in 15,000 patients ages 45 to 65 have made it possible to develop a reference range of what is “normal” at different ages. After your measurements are taken, the results are compared to this same computerized database of 15,000 patients.

A report is generated which tells us your vascular age. If your vascular matches your chronological age or younger, then you have a lower risk for heart disease. If your vascular age exceeds your chronological age, then it alerts us to be more aggressive at controlling those risk factors associated with heart disease. Importantly, with various therapies, it is possible to achieve regression or slow down progression of the CIMT. A follow-up CIMT is done six months to a year after therapy is initiated to evaluate the effectiveness of those therapies.

THE INTEGRATED MEDICINE DIFFERENCE!

Berries are an important part of any cardiovascular prevention and treatment plan. With cardiovascular disease phytonutrient concentrates of berries and other natural plant compounds is always necessary, according to Dr. Michael Wald. This photo of blueberries would need to be three bowels to have a real rehabilitation effect upon cardiovascular disease; and used along with other foods, nutritional products, proper and specific exercise and other lifestyle factors.

As an “integrated” health care office we cross-compare various tests such as the CIMT to other cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular tests to potentially yield greater understanding of your health issues. For example, the CIMT test is a test of harness, thickening and/or plaque within arteries; these findings can be related to loss of bone density (osteoporosis) because calcium leaching from bones may harden arteries. Breast cancer incidence is higher among women with both hardening of the arteries/plaque with loss of bone density. Low vitamin D3 levels (below 75 ug/nL) may increase the risk of all of these issues namely, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), loss of bone density and/or breast cancer…also arthritis!  As you can see, our “integrated” or holistic perspective can recognize these issues and risk factors so that we can develop personalized health plans for our patients. A patient would have to visit several doctors to diagnose and treat plaque within arteries, osteoporosis, breast cancer, low vitamin D3 and arthritis. Our treatment plans encompass all of these in one place. We commonly refer, and are happy to communicate with, your other doctors.

SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES

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*DISCLAIMER: Dr. Michael Wald is a doctor of chiropractic with a masters degree in nutrition. He is also a Certified Dietitian Nutritionist and a Certified Nutritional Specialist and Sports Nutritionist. Dr. Wald is certified to provide acupuncture in several states, but not New York. Dr. Wald has two board certifications in nutrition. Dr. Michael Wald earned his MD diploma, but did not complete a residency and is thus not licensed to practice medicine. The information on this site is intended for educational purposes only and is not to substitute for sound medical or health advice. Information contained within this website may change at any time without prior notice. The information on this website is under copyright, 2021.