Dare To C.A.R.E.

Dare to C.A.R.E. is a free heart and vascular disease education and screening program. If caught early, vascular disease can be treated to prevent serious problems such as heart attack or stroke.


Every year, more than 795,000 Americans will have a stroke caused by heart or vascular disease. Up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable.


How Does Dare to C.A.R.E. Work?

Dare to C.A.R.E. is a free screening program if you are at least 60 years old or if you are at least 50 years old and have certain risk factors for vascular disease. A referral is not required, but we will send your screening results to your primary care physician (PCP).

Through Dare to C.A.R.E. screenings, individuals are screened for common diseases such as:

Carotid Artery Disease - a primary cause of preventable strokes
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms - ruptured aneurysms cause death in up to 90% of cases
Renal Artery Stenosis - when untreated, frequently leads to the need for hemodialysis
Extremity Artery Disease - affects up to 12 million Americans, especially those over 50

The primary mission of the Dare to C.A.R.E. program is to educate our community about the risks of vascular disease, identify people at risk for major heart events and ensure that all participants receive appropriate level of preventative care including aspirin and statins, when indicated.

Because plaque builds up over time, the risk of vascular disease increases with age. You are eligible* for the free Dare to C.A.R.E. screening if you have an established primary care physician and are:
 

- Greater than 60 years old
- Greater than 50 years old, with one or more of the following risk factors: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, a smoker, family history of vascular disease (including: stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, kidney failure, sudden cardiac death, or abdominal aortic aneurysms)
- Greater than 40 years old with diabetes

*In an effort to make the best use of this free screening program, we are unable to provide screenings to individuals that do not meet the eligibility requirements noted above.

Please note: Individuals who receive a normal result in their Dare to C.A.R.E. screening are eligible to return for a follow-up screening in five (5) years.

All screenings are offered free to our community.

The Dare to C.A.R.E. program screens for the four common vascular diseases noted above. The process includes a blood pressure check and a non-invasive ultrasound examination of the carotid arteries, abdominal aorta, and evaluation of the circulation in the lower extremities. We will also check your Body Mass Index (BMI) and will need to measure both your height and weight during the screening.

The painless, non-invasive screening will take between 15-20 minutes to complete. 

Your results are mailed to both you and your primary care physician (PCP). Please note that Dare to C.A.R.E. screenings only offer preliminary findings.

If the screening uncovers a disease, you will need to follow up with your PCP to discuss any further recommendations for care.