[Screening in cardiovascular diseases]

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Medical Imaging
• Vascular Surgery

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in industrialized nations.
• Arteriosclerotic changes in the arterial vasculature contribute significantly to mortality in Germany.
• Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) presents a considerable economic burden due to long-term treatment and work incapacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of early screening for arteriosclerotic disease.
• To emphasize the potential for influencing disease progression in early stages.
• To introduce noninvasive imaging techniques for arterial assessment.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of noninvasive clinical examinations like the ankle-brachial index (ABI).
• Introduction of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as a noninvasive imaging modality.
• Comparison of MRI with invasive procedures and other noninvasive methods.

Main Results:

• Early-stage intervention for arteriosclerotic disease offers a higher potential for influencing outcomes.
• The ankle-brachial index (ABI) can indicate PAOD but lacks precise localization.
• MRI provides high spatial resolution arterial imaging without ionizing radiation.

Conclusions:

• Screening for arteriosclerotic disease is advisable due to the potential for slowing progression.
• MRI is a valuable noninvasive tool for imaging arterial vasculature in PAOD.
• Noninvasive imaging like MRI overcomes limitations of traditional methods, enabling better management of vascular disease.