What is Vascular Disease?
Vascular disease is a progressive condition in which deposits of plaque from cholesterol, calcium and other build-up can block arteries throughout the body. These blockages reduce the ability of your arteries to deliver the proper amounts of oxygen-rich blood to muscles in the surrounding area.
Vascular Screening Services: The Power of Prevention
Adventist GlenOaks Hospital offers a wide range of vascular screening and cardiac treatment services to treat chest pain and identify potential heart conditions in time to treat them before they progress. Our vascular services include:
- Cardiac catheterization (angiogram) to identify blockages and narrowing of the arteries
- Stress Testing
- EKG/ECG (electrocardiogram)
- Echocardiograms (ultrasound of the heart)
- Stress echocardiograms
- Interventional cardiac catheterization —treats many heart problems without surgery
- Stent placement
- Angioplasty to clear blockages in arteries
Are You at Risk?
Vascular disease has been known to affect the following groups:
- Smokers and former smokers
- People with high cholesterol and high blood pressure
- People with coronary heart disease (or family history of CHD)
- People who are overweight or have a sedentary lifestyle
Symptoms of Vascular Disease
Assess your health periodically. If you display symptoms of vascular disease, you may need to undergo vascular testing. Symptoms of vascular disease can include:
- Temporary vision loss
- Difficulty speaking or understanding others
- Numbness in arms, legs or face, typically on one side of the body
- Persistent leg cramps and pain that increases when walking
- Leg/foot wounds that take a long time to heal or look black in color
Fight Vascular Disease with Exercise
Exercise is an excellent non-surgical treatment for vascular disease. Exercise provides benefits by:
- Reducing the thickness of your blood
- Increasing blood flow to your legs
- Improving oxygen delivery to muscles during exercise
- Helping your heart and lungs work better to pump blood to the rest of your body
There are also numerous medical treatments that can be recommended to you by your cardiologist that will assist you in a speedy recovery.