12 Oct Going With the QuantaFlo™ Testing
Studies show that approximately one in every 20 Americans over the age of 50 has Peripheral Arterial Disease, or PAD, which is a condition that may raise one’s risk for heart attack and stroke as they age.
The difficulty, however, has typically been with proper PAD testing and diagnosis, as past methods for measuring a patient’s circulatory efficiency in the lower extremities have been unreliable — particularly if the patients in question were not yet showing physical symptoms.
Now, however, physicians can quickly and confidently test patients for PAD using QuantaFlo™ testing.
What Is Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)?
Peripheral Arterial Disease occurs when plaque builds up in the venous system, effectively narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow to a patient’s limbs. Thus, their body’s overall circulatory functions are reduced and they may experience pain and swelling in their arms and/or legs.
According to the American Heart Association, “peripheral” refers to the outer regions of the body, as it is indicative of the blood that flows away from the heart. PAD also primarily affects the arteries in the legs, though it can subsequently impact the heart, stomach, arms, or kidneys.
What is QuantaFlo™ Testing?
QuantaFlo™ testing involves the use of sensors to painlessly and non-invasively determine whether a patient has PAD within a matter of minutes. Sensors are placed on a patient’s fingers and toes to measure their blood circulation, thereby measuring and comparing the differences in blood flow. Depending on the results, the physician will then be able to determine if further PAD monitoring or treatment is necessary.
QuantaFlo™ is also a “novel” FDA-approved method for determining a patient’s potential PAD diagnosis, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Why QuantaFlo™ Testing?
QuantaFlo™ is a simple and efficient service designed to test a patient for PAD within a matter of minutes, taking an approach that blows older methods out of the water. Oftentimes, physicians will simply feel for the pulse in a patient’s ankle to determine whether they may have PAD, or otherwise turn to the Ankle-Brachial Index.
“The Ankle-Brachial Index, or ABI, requires specialized equipment operated by a specially trained technician,” according to Semler Scientific, the medical-risk assessment company that created QuantaFlo™. “Unfortunately the ABI test is often only prescribed after other symptoms are present despite the fact that many PAD patients show no symptoms.”
QuantaFlo™, on the other hand, is portable, easy to use, and can be installed on any device that is Windows-based.
If you believe you may be at risk for PAD, or if you’re ready to schedule your FREE screening with a local professional, contact Duval Vascular Center today. We are proud to provide quality healthcare to our patients in a state-of-the-art facility, so don’t wait! Call us today at (904) 518-1398 to learn more about PAD and QuantaFlo™ testing.