Experts raise doubts over pop-up heart and stroke screening clinics

I know the experts are right about  this being almost worthless unless you have indications. This would have prevented my stroke if the question had been asked, 'Do either of your parents have atherosclerosis?' I had no other indications.

Experts raise doubts over pop-up heart and  stroke  screening clinics

Medical experts say they have doubts over pop-up clinics that screen for heart attacks and strokes in a procedure that they say is not appropriate for people without any symptoms.
Consumer authorities in two Australian states are looking into the clinics offered by Screen for Life.
The Screen for Life website says it offers fast, painless and affordable preventive health screening.
Medical director Professor Scott Kitchener says the clinics are run by registered nurses, with screenings performed by highly trained sonographers.
The results are reviewed by a cardiologist and are delivered to the patient within 21 days.
He says they have identified serious health problems in some patients.
"If there is a finding on the screening of concern then we discuss it with their GP. And occasionally I've even called vascular surgeons and cardiologists to further discuss the signals we've found on screening," he said.
Screen for Life offers a range of medical tests, including ultrasound of the carotid arteries.
However, medical experts such as Professor Paul Glasziou, director of the Centre for Research in evidence-based practice at Bond University, says the procedure is not appropriate for people without any symptoms.
"The ultrasound screens of the carotid artery, which is one of the screens that is being done, is generally not recommended," he said.
"The College of General Practitioners here doesn't recommend it, the US preventative task force doesn't recommend it for the general population."
The US preventative services task force is an independent US government panel that evaluates screening.
It estimates that doctors would need to screen more than 4,300 people with ultrasound and a follow-up magnetic resonance imaging testing to prevent a single stroke.
Professor Glasziou says there are some specific groups, such as people who have had a mini stroke, where it is really important to do ultrasound screening of carotid arteries.
"But as a general screening, it is not a particularly good idea. I personally don't have it and I wouldn't do it for my patients," he said.
"It is much more important that they just get the routine checks.
"'Do you smoke? What's your cholesterol? What's your blood pressure? Do you have diabetes?', And do those first.
"If there are any indications from those things then I may consider [those] in very high-risk groups getting that sort of ultrasound screening."

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