The sudden death of U.S. diplomat Richard C. Holbrooke on December 13 is raising public awareness of vascular disease and the condition of aortic dissection, which took Holbrooke’s life at the age of 69. Similar cases also claimed the lives of both Lucille Ball and John Ritter in recent years. While aortic dissection, a tear in the inner layer of the aorta caused by hypertension, occurs suddenly without warning and cannot be detected, many other vascular diseases can be caught early and treated.
You probably don’t think about it much, but if you are over 55, your vascular system — that super-highway of veins and arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to your legs, brain and other vital organs — may be in need of some maintenance, or, at a minimum, some surveying. Over time, these “roadways” can narrow and thicken with fatty deposits or plaque, restricting or slowing blood flow. When the blood supply is constrained, tissue damage, organ function, stroke and even death can occur.
By 2015, the U.S. Census reports an expected 87 million people aged 55 and older will be stricken with some form of vascular disease, and this number is expected to continually rise.
“Maintaining a healthy vascular system is vital to the health of the over 55 population,” said Joseph V. Lombardi, MD, Head of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Director of the Acute Aortic Treatment Center at Cooper University Hospital. “Early diagnosis and proper treatment is the best course for vascular disease.”
Vascular disease may not have any obvious symptoms in its early stages. Typically, the condition evolves to a more severe stage without any symptoms at all. Left untreated, vascular disease can be serious to fatal. While vascular disease is more prevalent in males with a family history of the disease, the risk increases with age in both males and females.
Talk to your primary care physician about your risk factors, how to keep your cholesterol and blood pressure levels within a healthy range, and whether you are a candidate for a vascular screening.
Non-invasive, painless ultrasound tests can easily detect narrowing or blockages in the vascular system, allowing for accurate diagnosis and early treatment that can ultimately save your life. Once problems are detected, a vascular surgeon can treat the disease. In many cases, minimally invasive endovascular procedures may be available. These catheter-based methods can be completed under local anesthesia, with most patients either going home the same day or the following day.
Common diseases of the vascular system include:
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm – abnormal enlargement of the abdominal aorta.
- Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm – a bulging, weakened area in the wall of the aorta.
- Thoracic Aortic Dissection – a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, causing a ballooning of the aortic wall which can result in a rupture.
- Carotid Arterial Disease – also called carotid artery stenosis, occurs when the carotid arteries, the main blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the brain, become narrowed. Carotid artery disease is responsible for 40 percent of all strokes.
- Peripheral Vascular Disease – a slow and progressive circulation disorder that can involve disease in any of the blood vessels outside of the heart, and diseases of the arteries, veins, or lymphatic vessels, potentially causing inadequate blood flow to the brain, heart and legs.
While the impact of vascular disease can be significant, you can take control of your vascular health. “Controlling or modifying preventable risk factors can significantly reduce your chances of developing vascular disease. Talk to your primary care physician about your risk factors and screening for vascular disease,” Dr. Lombardi said.
Things You Can Do (Right Now!) to Reduce Your Risk of Vascular Disease:
- If you are a smoker—stop (check out Cooper’s Smoking Cessation Programs to give you that push to finally quit).
- Keep your blood pressure in a normal range.
- Watch cholesterol levels.
- Eat a low-fat, healthy diet.
- Keep active and exercise regularly.
- Visit your primary physician regularly and discuss risk factors for vascular disease, screening and/or seeing a vascular surgeon.
— by Tami Bloom