Clinical Evaluation of Contrast-Enhanced Carotid Ultrasound Imaging

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are an important cause of mortality. An estimated 17 million deaths are caused by CVD, representing 30% of all-cause mortality . CVD are all disorders of the heart and blood vessels. It includes coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease and deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. The main part of deaths due to CVD worldwide are caused by coronary heart disease (an estimated 7.3 million deaths) and due to stroke (an estimated 6.2 million deaths) 1.Compared to any other cause of death, CVD are the most important cause of death. For example, the number of annual deaths due to cancer is estimated on 7.6 million . Trends show that CVD remain the leading cause of death the upcoming years, leading to an increase in deaths caused by CVD to 23.3 million in 2030 . Besides the contribution of CVD to the global death rates, CVD affect the global health as well 1. Non-fatal cardiovascular events (CVE) may lead to disability and morbidities . This may result in a decreased quality of life for survivors. In addition the ongoing developments in the field of CVD, influencing both preventive and therapeutic strategies, increase the chances of survival after a cardiovascular event. This leads to an increased number of survivors who increasingly need healthcare, resulting in rising future healthcare costs for CVD 5. Due to the increasing mortality and morbidity rates as a result of CVD and the increasing burden of CVD on global healthcare, the World Health Organization aims to develop prevention programs to decrease the number of people at risk for the development of CVD. These programs aim to alter an individual’s cardiovascular risk by controlling cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Despite advances in preventive medicine over the last decades, CVD remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality.