Diagnosing Atherosclerosis

The only way to obtain a direct sight of the state of the blood vessels is for the doctor to look at the sufferer's eyes with an ophthalmoscope. In this way, they can inspect the state of the blood vessels, arteries and veins that run across the retina. A number of blood tests will be carried out, which can detect hypothyroidism and diabetes, two diseases associated with atherosclerosis. Blood pressure and the state of the heart will also be measured, along with a simple test that can assess the state of the leg arteries.