Vascular screenings

Learn about the health of your blood vessels with a vascular screening at Spectrum Health. Your screening results may help you live a longer, healthier life.

Screening tests find problems early—before you experience symptoms. Vascular tests can help you find and treat problems in your veins and arteries before they cause serious damage.

Vascular screening tests may detect:

• Blood clots
• Plaque buildup in your arteries
• Poor blood flow
• Weak spots in the walls of blood vessels (aneurysms)

Get a free vascular screening if you have two or more risk factors for vascular disease, such as: 

• Age 60 or older 
• Diabetes, type 1 or type 2 
• Family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm (bulging area in the body’s main artery) 
• Family history of atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque in the arteries) before age 60 
• High blood pressure (hypertension) 
• High cholesterol 
• History of smoking

When you schedule your screening, we’ll help you find the location that’s most convenient for you. Vascular screenings are available at Spectrum Health locations across West Michigan, including Big Rapids, Fremont, Grand Rapids, Greenville, Hastings, Holland, Muskegon, Wyoming and Zeeland.

Vascular screenings are quick, simple and noninvasive. They include: 

• Abdominal vascular duplex ultrasound – Uses sound waves to examine blood flow in your belly 
• Ankle-brachial index – Checks the blood pressure in your ankle and your arm, and then compares the two 
• Carotid artery duplex ultrasound – Uses sound waves to examine blood vessels in your neck that carry blood to your brain 

A Registered Vascular Technologist®—an imaging professional who specializes in using ultrasound to examine veins and arteries—will perform your screening tests. 

Most screening appointments last about 30 minutes.

Your technologist will discuss your results with you at your appointment. We’ll share your full results with your primary care provider and add them to your Spectrum Health MyChart account. Talk to your primary care provider about your results and next steps.