Carotid Bruit Signals Artery Blockage, Heart Attack Risk

Washington (dbTechno) - According to researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., a carotid bruit has proven to be an indicator of a blockage of an artery, and also a warning sign for an increased heart attack risk.

A carotid bruit can be caused by the build-up of fatty depots on the wall of arteries. These arteries carry blood to the brain.

The research was led by Dr. Christopher Pickett as his team looked o ver 22 studies in total, which included around 18,000 patients.

The review of these studies found that those who had a carotid bruit were twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack or die from cardiovascular disease compared to those without one.

A carotid bruit can be detected with a simple stethoscope, which could, in turn, allow doctors to better predict who is at the greatest risk for heart attack.

The study will be published in the May 10 issue of The Lancet.