What is a CIMT ultrasound and what does it look for?
CIMT (Carotid Intima Media Thickness) ultrasound is a simple, FDA-approved way to assess the health of your arteries and detect early atherosclerosis (i.e. plaque) without any radiation exposure. Using an ultrasound in the office, we look at the arteries in your neck and measure 3 things:
- Carotid artery thickness — the thickness of the artery is directly correlated with vascular inflammation and early plaque development. Fortunately, this is completely reversible once identified and lifestyle changes are made!
- Arterial Age — our arteries thicken with age but can experience more rapid thickening with smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. The test will compare your artery thickness with the general population to give you an idea how “old” your arteries are.
- Plaque — the ultrasound can see inside your arteries to identify if you have plaque, also called atherosclerosis. The presence of any type of plaque is cause for concern but larger plaques are very concerning. We can also see if the plaque is hard or soft. Soft plaque is more unstable and higher risk of causing a heart attack or stroke. Soft plaque cannot be picked up on the standard “Calcium Score” test, so this test provides an added layer of value.
It’s important to know that a CIMT ultrasound is different than a carotid ultrasound, which is traditionally offered at imaging centers. A CIMT ultrasound measures vascular inflammation and gives detailed information on plaque size. A carotid ultrasound is most looking just at blood flow through the artery and will not report arterial thickness.
CIMT ultrasound is a great screening test for patients with the 2 or more of the following risk factors:
- Age 30+ years old
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes or pre-diabetes
- Autoimmune conditions
- Overweight or obese
- Smoker (active or former)
- Family member with early heart attack or stroke (Men <55yrs old, women < 65yrs old)
We recommend repeating CIMT ultrasounds every 6-12 months to help monitor the effectiveness of heart-protective interventions, like lifestyle changes, medications, and/or supplementation. The hope is that, over time, we will see your carotid arteries getting thinner and any soft plaque turning to hard plaque or even going away completely.
Your CIMT results come as a beautiful report of the findings. Please watch the video to see what a CIMT report looks like!
For our patients, a CIMT ultrasound costs $185 ($225 if not a patient of Authentic Health). If you’re interested in scheduling your CIMT ultrasound, please call our office at 828-274-1600 or ask about it at your next appointment.