Is screening for vascular disease a valuable proposition?

The value of health screening among the general population has been well-documented, with testing for hypertension, diabetes, and glaucoma now commonplace. It was the purpose of our study to determine the efficacy of a screening program for peripheral vascular disease and carotid artery disease using the noninvasive laboratory diagnostic tools. In the screening for peripheral disease, there were 496 participants with a mean age of 35 (range 17 to 63) years. All participants had an ankle:brachial index (ABI) of 0.95 or greater except one (0.47). Risk factors included smoking (350), history of cardiac disease (19), family history of vascular disease (204), and pain in the legs on walking (39). The risk factors could not be correlated with any objective vascular findings (abnormal ABIs). A Doppler ultrasound device, including an inflatable ankle cuff, was used to measure the ABI of the dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial vessels. Testing was performed on a volunteer basis after the participant completed a check-off sheet of risk factors. In screening for carotid artery disease 1338 women, whose average age was 31 years, had an less than 1% incidence of cardiac disease, and 803 men, whose average age was 40 years, had a 4% incidence. Less than 1% of the group had diabetes mellitus. All patients were asymptomatic referable to the extra-cranial vascular system. Two men of the 2141 persons tested had a lesion meriting further evaluation. The role of Health Fairs may be more effective as an educational resource than a diagnostic interventional tool.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)