Simple neck check detects heart failure risk in men over 60 View Image

A simple neck scan could help to pick up early warning signs of heart failure in men, a study suggests. The method – similar to ultrasounds offered during pregnancy – is “safe, cheap and painless”, and is something GPs could consider offering patients over 60, researchers said.

The scan, known as a carotid ultrasound, takes between 15 and 30 minutes and is performed using a small handheld device that is moved gently over the neck. It allows medics to look at the flexibility of the carotid arteries, the main vessels that supply blood to the brain, face and neck.

The large arteries in the body are elastic, but can stiffen with certain diseases and age, leading to high blood pressure, heart failure and an increased ri

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