The Arteriograph Test for Arterial Health
Arteriograph is a non-invasive test used for early diagnosis of arterial stiffness and other heart and artery health measurements. Disease, damage, or poor arterial function may be caused by arteriosclerosis or by the effects of stress, adrenalin, and similar hormones. Arteriosclerosis is the laying down of atheroma which is an inflexible mix of calcium, cholesterol, specialised red blood cells and other clotting factors in the arterial wall.
The Arteriograph examines the flexibility (the ‘bounciness’ if you like) of your arteries and can predict early arterial disease. Knowing early of stiffening (an age or disease related effect) increases the chances of being able to identify those individuals with ‘silent’ or asymptomatic (no symptoms) arterial disease and allows early intervention.
The mechanism by which it does this is due to pressure sensors through the length of the cuff measuring speed of blood flow. The test also tells us about how the blood flow is in the small blood vessels, in the heart muscle itself and gives an indication of fitness. The computer is also able to calculate the central blood pressure in the core of the body (the aorta) which is more predictive and accurate than the arm BP.
The results closely correlate to tests such as the ‘gold standard’ heart artery test the Coronary CT angiography and Calcium Score, but the Arteriograph has the advantage of being a non-invasive test and does not dosing the patient with Computer Tomography (CT) x-ray waves.
The Arteriograph takes 20-30 minutes to perform. A cuff is placed on your arm similar to a blood pressure test. You will be left for 5-10 minutes lying down and asked to relax, take your mind to a nice place or meditate if you can. The operator will return and slightly tighten the cuff which may be uncomfortable but is only for a few moments. The blood pressure cuff inflates making a whirring noise then clicks as the cuff deflates in a jerky fashion. This is all expected. The computer may do this 2 – 4 times whilst it calibrates and measures. The test is not uncomfortable other than these moments of tightness around the upper arm.
PREPARATION FOR THE ARTERIOGRAPH TEST
You need to follow some simple preparatory steps before you come in so please:
- Nothing to eat for 3hrs before
- No Coffee/Tea for 6hrs before
- No Cigarettes for 3hrs before
- No Alcohol for 10hrs before
- Take all and any medication as normal
- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Aim to drink at least 500mls in the two hours before the appointment.
- Please wear clothes that can be easily adjusted or removed to enable application of the pressure cuff to your arm.
- Please be able to tell the test technician your height and weight (preferably in Kilos and centimetres – but of course we can convert from lbs, feet and inches)
The cost of the test and full written report and therapeutic advice is £495
To make an appointment for an Arteriograph please call our main number: 01202 744747