Essentia Health-Fargo offering new vascular screenings

The Heart and Vascular Center at Essentia Health-Fargo is excited to offer three new vascular screenings.

Screening tests can detect problems before symptoms appear, which allows patients to start treatment earlier if needed. Your doctor may recommend certain screening tests depending on your risk factors, family history and overall health.

"A vascular screening tests the health of your arteries, checking for narrowing due to cholesterol build-up," explained Dr. Rory Farnan, an interventional cardiologist at Essentia Health. "These screenings will help evaluate for silent cholesterol build-up so you can work with your health care team to slow any further progression."

The new screenings test for the following conditions:

Carotid artery disease: An ultrasound is used to detect the presence of fatty deposits that can potentially contribute to stroke.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm: An ultrasound is used to detect enlargement (at risk for tearing) of the main artery within the abdomen, the aorta.

Peripheral arterial disease: ABI (Ankle Brachial Index) is performed to compare blood pressure in the upper and lower limbs to detect narrowed blood vessels that impede flow to the lower extremities.

"You should consider getting a non-invasive vascular screening if you have risk factors such as a history of smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high sugar and/or a family history of artery blockages, as well as other 'non-traditional risk factors' including inflammatory states like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus," added Dr. Farnan. 

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, including among both men and women in the United States.

If interested in scheduling a screening, please call the Heart and Vascular Center at (701) 364-BEAT. Screenings cost $75.

For more information on other available screenings and diagnostic tests through Essentia, please visit EssentiaHealth.org.

Essentia Health-Fargo is North Dakota’s only accredited Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) and Resuscitation. This is the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) highest level of accreditation for chest pain centers. Essentia Health-Fargo is a recipient of the ACC’s Platinum Award for its heart attack care. This is one of the highest cardiac honors a health care system can achieve, recognizing positive patient outcomes, performance and quality of care.

Essentia Health-Fargo was also awarded the ACC’s Transcatheter Valve Certification in 2023, the first hospital to receive this certification for its transcatheter valve aortic replacement (TAVR) program in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.