(May 9, 2008 - Insidermedicine) The presence of a noise in the carotid artery known as a "bruit" is associated with a significant increased risk for heart attack and death from cardiovascular causes, according to research published in the latest issue of The Lancet.

Here is some information about carotid bruits:

•    The carotid artery runs through the neck and is a major supplier of blood to the brain. When a blockage or narrowing is present in this artery, the turbulence it creates in the blood flow causes the noise known as a bruit.

•    A bruit can be heard by a healthcare professional by placing a stethoscope over a particular point on along the carotid artery.

•    Traditionally, the presence of a bruit has been linked with an increased risk for vascular events in the brain, such as a stroke, but the full prognostic significance of this phenomenon remain unclear.

Researchers out of Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in Washington, DC analyzed data collected in 22 different studies that explored the health implications of having a carotid artery bruit. These studies involved over 17,000 patients who were followed-up for an average of four years.

Patients with carotid artery bruits had about double the risk of having a heart attack and two-and-a-half times the risk of dying from a heart-related cause, compared with those without bruits. Looking only at four studies that directly compared patients with and without bruits yielded similar results: bruits were associated with more than double the risk of a heart attack or heart-related death.

Today's research highlights the cardiovascular risks associated with having a carotid artery bruit and suggests that individuals with a bruit should take an aggressive approach to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.