PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Cardiovasc. Med.
Sec. Atherosclerosis and Vascular Medicine
Ultrasound in Cardiovascular Care: A Perspective on Preventive, Diagnostic, and Monitoring Applications
1. Shamir Medical Center Assaf Harofeh, Tzrifin, Israel
2. Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel
3. Shamir Research Institute, Katzrin, Israel
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Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading global cause of death, underscoring the need for improved strategies for early detection and prevention. Conventional risk models such as Framingham and SCORE estimate population-level risk but often fail to identify individuals with subclinical vascular damage. Atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of most CVDs, develops silently for decades, emphasizing the importance of imaging modalities capable of detecting early vascular changes. Ultrasound offers a safe, non-invasive, and radiation-free means to visualize vascular structure, function, and hemodynamics in real time. This perspective reframes ultrasound as a cornerstone of preventive and diagnostic vasculature medicine in general, and cardiovascular medicine in particular, emphasizing major modalities— point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS), Doppler, Duplex, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), elastography, and pulse wave velocity (PWV). These techniques enable early risk stratification, monitoring of atherosclerotic progression, and evaluation of therapeutic response across carotid, aortic, peripheral, coronary, cerebral, and renal arteries. Ultrasound also serves as a behavioral catalyst, enhancing patient awareness and engagement. However, widespread adoption requires standardized protocols, provider training, ethical oversight, and equitable implementation to avoid global disparities. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) are revolutionizing ultrasound by automating plaque quantification, improving reproducibility, and expanding access through portable and handheld systems. Cloud-based interpretation and telemedicine integration further extend cardiovascular screening into community and home settings. As ultrasound evolves into a frontline technology for prevention, diagnosis, and monitoring, its integration with AI-driven interpretation and mobile health platforms positions it as a pivotal tool in personalized and equitable cardiovascular care.
Summary
Keywords
Atherosclerosis, cardiovascular ultrasound, Carotid intima-mediathickness, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, CoronaryArtery Disease, Intravascular ultrasound, Preventive cardiology, Vascular imaging
Received
09 October 2025
Accepted
28 January 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Chaiter, Fink and Machluf. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Yoram Chaiter
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.