Noise in Artery Could Warn of Heart Risk(iovascular disease. Several studies ...),Health

Several studies have shown that starting preventive measures for stroke on the basis of screening for carotid bruit aren't useful, Aboyans said. Nevertheless, presence of carotid bruit could prompt physicians to be more aggressive in recommending measures to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as cholesterol reduction, he said.

Dr. Deepak Bhatt, associate director of the Cleveland Clinic Cardiovascular Coordinating Center, said, "The [study authors'] recommendation that they be even more aggressive with risk modification, that is good clinical judgment."

Physicians routinely listen for possible carotid bruits when doing a physical examination of people who are middle-aged or older, Bhatt noted.

Studies have shown that there's a link between the risk of stroke and of coronary heart disease, Bhatt said. "The core knowledge already exists," he said. "This study helps put a number on how high the risk is."

But the study raises some practical issues, Bhatt added. "One is whether, if a carotid bruit is found, to go ahead and do an ultrasound examination," he said. "I would say yes, but it is controversial. The U.S. Preventive Task Force recommends against routine ultrasound in general."

More information

Learn what a carotid bruit is and what it might mean from the American Heart Association.

SOURCES: Victor Aboyans, M.D., cardiologist, Dupuytren University Hospital, Limoges, France; Deepak Bhatt, M.D., associate director, Cleveland Clinic Cardiovascular Coordinating Center; May 10, 2008, The Lancet