What are some red flags for arterial and other chronic diseases?

There are many conditions associated with arterial and other chronic diseases that lurk silently only to become suddenly lethal. These “red flags” reveal increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and other consequences of chronic disease. They are not clearly causative or modifiable.  But they can motivate curiosity and motivate.

Pay attention to them. The more red flags you recognize, the more you should want to know what may be lurking in you that could suddenly or slowly cost you your health… or even your life.

In addition to the following red flags, keep in mind that men over 40 years of age, women over 50, and individuals of African-American or Hispanic descent are also at higher risk of chronic disease.

• Personal or family history of cardiovascular/arterial disease, heart attack, stroke, or Type 2 Diabetes

• Age (men over 40 and women over 50)

• Gestational diabetes

• Elevated cholesterol

• Nicotine use in any form (including second-hand smoke)

• Psychosocial issues such as depression, anxiety, or stress

• High blood pressure

• Abdominal obesity (high levels of visceral fat)

• Sleep problems (not enough sleep, sleep apnea, etc.)

• Periodontal/Endodontal disease

• Erectile dysfunction

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Lupus

• Psoriasis

• Migraine headaches

• Gout

• Polycystic ovaries

• Hirsutism (facial hair growth in women)

• Osteoporosis

• Pre-eclampsia

• Breast cancer treatment

• COVID spike protein infection or injection

If you fall into any of these categories, take the first step to good health and prevention, and request a complimentary Discovery Call with Dr. Backs.

What is a Carotid Intima Media Thickness (CIMT) Ultrasound?

As part of your CurePlan, you will be urged to get a Carotid Intima Media Thickness (CIMT) ultrasound if possible. This is more detailed than the CureScreen carotid ultrasound process, carotid duplex ultrasound you can get at your hospital or vascular specialist or Lifeline Screening. It provides a much more detailed look at your artery wall and measures arterial inflammation, which is the measurable and reversible underlying condition of interest.

Lifeline screening identifies and encourages “monitoring” of plaque, but does not report intima media thickness for monitoring or offer a plan other than referral for surgery for late stage disease. It is useful for screening but not monitoring or proactive early intervention. If you have had a CureScreen ultrasound, you already have more information then a Lifeline Screening ultrasound will offer, making it a waste of time and money better spent on a Carotid Intima Media Thickness ultrasound for disease monitoring.

CIMT measures the thickness/inflammation of the artery wall and characteristics of plaque using ultrasound. It is typically repeated every 6-12 months saving images and measuring the artery wall thickness. Specifically trained providers with Butterfly ultrasound probes can provide images sufficient for CIMT reports.

A thicker wall is a sicker more inflamed wall with a higher risk of developing new unstable plaque. This inflammation triggered by injury and oxidative stress from many sources sets the stage for plaque development and rupture, the event leading to stroke, heart attack, dementia, erectile dysfunction, kidney failure, or other serious complications.

Having a little bit of arterial disease is like having a little bit of cancer. Like early cancer detection, our goal is to reverse arterial disease and achieve durable remission. When cancer remission is prolonged and stable, we think of it as cured. CIMT offers the most cost-effective, painless way to monitor progress toward a cure for arterial disease.

What is the difference between a CIMT and a duplex carotid ultrasound?

The CIMT offers more meaningful information about early arterial disease than standard duplex carotid ultrasound.  It documents the type of plaque (estimating risk of rupture) and measures the thickness/inflammation of the artery wall.

The purpose of the duplex carotid ultrasound is to support the need for a surgical procedure by detecting late-stage disease while watching reversible early disease progress. Additionally, if you get a duplex ultrasound, your insurance likely won’t pay for the more informative CIMT exam for at least six months. Many vascular labs mistakenly or misleadingly answer “yes” when asked if their ultrasound is a CIMT. The best bet is to go with one of the 2 providers nationwide that offer reliable and consistent CIMT testing at locations and times around the country: Vasolabs and Cardiorisk.

At the CureCenter, we depend upon the CIMT because it allows us to detect reversible early disease, assign an “arterial age,” and show your improvement – something the duplex carotid ultrasound doesn’t do. This added information and ability to track your progress will motivate your journey to optimize your CurePlan and rid yourself of chronic disease. 

A new process enables measurement of CIMT based on scans obtained by medical,dental and other professionals using point of care ultrasound supported by CureCoach, the Butterfly iQ ultrasound device and Vasolabs. Ask your dentist or doctor to consider this lifesaving opportunity for addition to their skill set and services.

What is arterial age?

The health of your carotid arteries reflects the health of arteries throughout your body - including the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. The carotid arteries are an accessible sample of a massive supply system.

Thickness of your artery wall is compared to other people your age and gender as a population percentile. Your “arterial age” is the age for which the thickness of your arteries would be average, i.e. 50th percentile. At the CureCenter, we monitor arterial age every 6-12 months to ensure our plan is working and your arterial age is improving. If it is not improving, we look for additional opportunities to improve your CurePlan.

Does Insurance Cover CIMT?

Medicare and most insurance covers CIMT if arterial disease is present, flow velocity measurements are included and performed by a certified sonographer. This limits the number of providers who can offer this covered version. Cash payment options make it affordable for those with high deductibles or coverage only for catastrophic care.

Recently, it has become possible to provide equivalent relevant information using Butterfly point of care ultrasound in the hands of doctors, dentists, and others. This makes it more available at more times in more places. The process is not payable by Medicare or insurance coverage because it doesn’t meet their criteria. It is more than sufficient to detect disease and measure regression/improvement. The cost is $198, making it an affordable out of pocket expense compared to the cost of disability and death.