Ultrasound could improve the early detection of vascular disease, perhaps even before patients develop symptoms, according to a preclinical study published August 7 in the journal Ultrasound.
Researchers from the University of Leicester in the U.K. used ultrasound and semiautomatic image processing in mice to investigate the progression of abdominal aortic aneurysm and atherosclerosis. Ultrasound is used for a wide range of diseases and offers real-time information on the ability of arteries to expand and contract.
First author Dr. Justyna Janus and colleagues found changes in the ability of the mice's blood vessels to pulsate as the disease state worsened, suggesting that ultrasound could help in the early detection of reduced vascular function.
"Our study ... suggests that the ultrasound methods we employed can detect early changes in blood vessel function that can serve as a marker for detection of disease," co-author Dr. Mike Kelly said in a statement released by the university.
