Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is most likely to affect your legs when narrowing of the arteries restricts blood flow. At Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA, their experienced cardiovascular specialists check to see if you have PAD by doing an ankle brachial index test. This simple blood pressure test is available at the practice’s offices in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, and Tampa, Florida. Call your local Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA office today or book an appointment online to find out more about the ankle brachial index test for PAD.
An ankle brachial index test is a fast, noninvasive way of checking for peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
PAD occurs when the narrowing of your arteries reduces blood flow to your legs. It can cause leg pain when you walk (claudication). PAD is also a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes because it indicates your arteries aren’t healthy.
An ankle brachial index test compares the blood pressure in your ankle and the blood pressure in your arm. A low ankle brachial index result indicates narrowing or possibly a blockage in your leg arteries.
Your provider at Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA might do an ankle brachial index test if you suffer from claudication and they suspect that you have PAD. They also do an ankle brachial index test if you’re at risk of having PAD caused by:
If you have atherosclerosis (narrowed arteries) in other parts of your body, they’ll do an ankle brachial index test to see if you also have PAD.
Before your provider at Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA does your ankle brachial index test, they might ask you to rest for up to 30 minutes to settle your blood pressure.
For the test, you lie on a treatment table. Your provider uses inflatable blood pressure cuffs and a hand-held Doppler ultrasound instrument that they press against your skin.
The Doppler device uses sound waves that enable your provider to hear the pulse in your ankle arteries after they deflate the blood pressure cuff.
The ankle brachial index test takes only a few minutes and should be painless. When the blood pressure cuff tightens, you might feel some discomfort, but this only lasts a few seconds.
After your test, you can carry on with your day as usual.
If your ankle brachial index test result is between 1.0 and 1.4, there’s no sign that you have PAD. However, if you have symptoms, your Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA provider will also do an exercise ankle brachial index test to make sure.
An ankle brachial index of 0.91-0.99 signifies you have borderline PAD. If your ankle brachial index is below 0.90, it indicates that you have PAD. Your provider at Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA will probably advise additional tests like an ultrasound or angiography to look at your arteries.
Call the nearest Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA office today or book an appointment online to learn more about the ankle brachial index test and PAD.
Blood clots and other problems that affect your circulatory system can lead to serious health complications. At Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA, the experienced cardiologists use advanced vascular ultrasound technology to evaluate your circulation. A vascular ultrasound helps them identify blockages or damage that can prevent blood from flowing freely through your arteries and veins. To find out if you’d benefit from a vascular ultrasound, call the office in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, or Tampa, Florida, today to schedule an appointment or book a consultation online.
If you suffer from chest pain or other symptoms of a cardiovascular problem, you may need an echocardiogram. At Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA, the cardiology specialists use advanced echocardiogram technology to get a close-up look at the structures of your heart to identify damage and disease. To learn more about the diagnostic benefits of an echocardiogram, call the Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA office in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, or Tampa, Florida, today. You can also book an appointment online.
Experiencing chest pain can be frightening. To understand what’s causing your pain, Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA providers offer on-site diagnostic testing services. The cardiologists also customize treatment plans to address the root cause of your chest pain and protect your cardiovascular system’s long-term health. Call the office in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, or Tampa, Florida, today to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for persistent chest pain or book your appointment online.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cause of heart attacks and death. At the Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA offices in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, and Tampa, Florida, the experienced cardiovascular specialists diagnose CAD. They effectively treat it to prevent you from suffering severe complications. Call your nearest Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA office today if you’re worried you might be at risk of coronary artery disease. You can also schedule a consultation using the online booking form.
When you experience shortness of breath or other signs of heart disease, a nuclear stress test can be a useful diagnostic tool. At Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA, the cardiology specialists use advanced technologies to evaluate the health of your heart when you’re exercising and when you’re at rest. Call the office in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, or Tampa, Florida, today to set up a consultation for a nuclear stress test. You can also schedule an appointment online.
Structural heart disease might not be something you can prevent. But the Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA providers offer several minimally invasive methods to treat it. The cardiology team uses advanced treatments like MitraClip™ to repair leaky valves and Watchman™ implants to prevent blood clots from causing a stroke. Call the office in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, or Tampa, Florida, today or book a consultation online to schedule a diagnostic evaluation of structural heart disease.
To evaluate the function of your heart, Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA offers noninvasive cardiac CT scans right in the comfort of their offices. The cardiology specialists use advanced scanning technology to evaluate the valves, blood vessels, and other structures of your heart. This helps them identify disease or damage that affects your cardiovascular health. To learn more about the diagnostic benefits of a cardiac CT scan, call the office in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, or Tampa, Florida, today or book an appointment online.
If you’re having symptoms that suggest you may have an issue with your heart, the board-certified cardiovascular disease specialists at Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA may recommend you wear a Holter monitor for a couple of days. A Holter monitor assesses the conductivity of your heart and gives your physician important information about your heart function. If you live near Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, or Tampa, Florida, call Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA or use the online booking tool to set up a consultation.
If you’re at risk of sudden cardiac death because of an underlying heart condition, you could be a candidate for LifeVest®. This wearable defibrillator can stabilize your heart rhythm at any time, even while you’re sleeping. The specialists at Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA offer complete health evaluations to determine if the LifeVest is a treatment that could protect you from sudden death. Call the office in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, or Tampa, Florida, today to find out how the LifeVest works. You can also book a consultation online.
Up to 1,000 new cases of pulmonary hypertension are diagnosed in the United States each year. While the condition is rare, it requires the highest-quality treatment, the kind the providers at Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA offer. The cardiology specialists provide in-office diagnostic testing to confirm pulmonary hypertension. They also customize treatment plans to manage your condition for the long term. Call the office in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, or Tampa, Florida, today to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for pulmonary hypertension or book an appointment online.
Varicose veins can sometimes be more than just a cosmetic problem, causing aching and tenderness in your legs. If you’re experiencing unpleasant symptoms like these or are worried about your varicose veins, Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA can help. At their offices in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, and Tampa, Florida, the experienced vascular specialists offer endovenous radiofrequency ablation to get rid of troublesome varicose veins for good. Call your local Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA office today for more information or book an appointment online.
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is most likely to affect your legs when narrowing of the arteries restricts blood flow. At Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA, their experienced cardiovascular specialists check to see if you have PAD by doing an ankle brachial index test. This simple blood pressure test is available at the practice’s offices in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, and Tampa, Florida. Call your local Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA office today or book an appointment online to find out more about the ankle brachial index test for PAD.
Carotid Doppler is an ultrasound scan that checks the function of your main neck arteries. At Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA, patients benefit from on-site carotid Doppler ultrasound to quickly diagnose carotid artery disease and blockages that can lead to a stroke. Call the office in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, or Tampa, Florida, today to learn more or book your appointment. You can also schedule online.
It’s not uncommon to see blue, red, or purple raised varicose veins on your legs, especially as you get older. At the Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA offices in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, and Tampa, Florida, the experienced vascular specialists offer a range of cutting-edge treatments to get rid of uncomfortable varicose veins. Call your local Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA office today to learn more about varicose vein treatment or schedule a consultation online.
The most common causes of heart disease are very often preventable. At the Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA offices in Brandon, Sun City Center, Riverview, and Tampa, Florida, the experienced cardiovascular specialists offer patients a complete heart disease prevention program. To learn how you can avoid the devastating consequences of cardiac disorders, call your nearest Bay Area Cardiology Associates PA office today. You can also schedule a heart disease prevention consultation using the online booking form.