— BlackPoint Diagnostics —
Diabetes is a vascular disease. It damages arteries, kidneys, and circulation from the inside — silently, for years — before it becomes a medical emergency. Mobile vascular ultrasound screening in Southern Maine detects that damage early, when it can still be addressed. No referral. $397 per scan.
— Diabetes Is a Vascular Disease —
When blood glucose stays elevated over time — even at levels that don't require insulin — it initiates a cascade of damage throughout the circulatory system. Glucose molecules attach to proteins in vessel walls through a process called glycation, making them stiff and inflexible. The resulting inflammation accelerates atherosclerotic plaque formation in ways that occur faster, are more diffuse, and are harder to treat than in non-diabetic patients.
The result is that adults with diabetes have two to four times the cardiovascular mortality of non-diabetics — and three times the rate of peripheral artery disease. The damage frequently begins years before a diabetes diagnosis is made, during the long pre-diabetic period when blood sugar is elevated but not yet at diagnostic threshold.
Cardiovascular ultrasound is one of the most direct ways to see that damage. It shows what your A1c cannot: whether your arteries have already been affected, whether your kidneys are receiving adequate blood flow, and whether plaque has accumulated in the carotid arteries feeding your brain.
Increased cardiovascular mortality risk for diabetic adults compared to non-diabetics.
Increased rate of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in people with diabetes.
Of chronic kidney disease cases are caused by diabetic nephropathy — often preceded by renal artery changes visible on ultrasound.
Of people with diabetic PAD have no leg pain — because diabetic neuropathy masks the symptom.
— 3 Complications You May Not Know About —
Atherosclerotic plaque in the leg arteries — from the iliac down to the foot — restricts blood flow and, in severe cases, threatens limb viability. PAD is three times more common in diabetic patients, progresses faster, and affects smaller vessels. The most dangerous aspect: diabetic neuropathy often eliminates the classic symptom (leg cramping with walking), so severe PAD can be present with no pain at all. Lower extremity arterial duplex ultrasound maps the arterial tree from groin to foot, detecting blockages before they cause tissue damage.
Narrowing of the renal arteries reduces blood flow to the kidneys, triggering a renin-angiotensin response that drives blood pressure up in a loop that is resistant to standard antihypertensive medications. This renovascular hypertension is directly linked to diabetic kidney disease progression. Patients often present with "resistant hypertension" — blood pressure that doesn't respond adequately to three or more medications. Renal artery Doppler ultrasound evaluates blood flow velocity and resistance in both kidneys, detecting stenosis that medication alone will not address.
Diabetic patients develop carotid artery plaque earlier, more extensively, and with a more vulnerable plaque morphology than non-diabetic patients. This directly elevates stroke risk. The carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) — measurable on ultrasound — is an established marker of systemic atherosclerosis and a predictor of future cardiovascular events. Carotid duplex ultrasound provides both a stenosis assessment and an IMT measurement, giving a direct window into the state of your arterial system.
— Recommended Bundle —
For diabetic patients, we recommend three studies that together cover the major vascular complications: peripheral arterial disease, renovascular hypertension, and carotid stroke risk. These can be booked individually at $397 each, or as part of our Diabetic Cardiovascular Package.
Full arterial tree evaluation from iliac to foot. Detects PAD, maps stenosis location and severity. $397.
Evaluates blood flow velocity and resistance in both renal arteries. Detects renovascular hypertension causing resistant blood pressure. $397.
Plaque assessment, stenosis grading, and IMT measurement in both carotid arteries. Stroke risk stratification. $397.
View our dedicated Diabetic Cardiovascular Package for bundle pricing →
View Diabetic Package— Why Mobile Matters for Diabetic Patients —
Diabetic patients typically carry one of the highest appointment burdens in primary care — endocrinology, nephrology, ophthalmology, podiatry, primary care. Adding vascular imaging to that schedule at a separate facility, with its own scheduling process, often means it simply doesn't happen.
BlackPoint brings the imaging to you. One appointment. At home. All three studies in a single session of 90–120 minutes. No additional travel, no new facility to register at, no waiting room to navigate. The results go directly to you — and to your endocrinologist, nephrologist, or PCP upon request.
We encourage sharing your report with your endocrinologist, nephrologist, and primary care physician. Many patients find that vascular imaging results prompt medication adjustments, nephrology referrals, or vascular surgery consultations that significantly alter their care.
If your endocrinologist or PCP wants to refer you for vascular imaging, we accept physician referrals — no prior authorization required. Reports delivered within 24–48 hours with full clinical measurements. Physician referral portal →
— Your Clinical Team —
Every scan performed to hospital protocol. Every report written by a fellowship-trained cardiologist.
Dual-credentialed ARDMS-certified sonographer in cardiovascular (RDCS) and vascular (RVT) ultrasound. Founder of BlackPoint Diagnostics. Performs all studies to ASE and SVU protocol standards.
Board-certified cardiologist with subspecialty certification in echocardiography. Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. Yale/Cornell Clinical Instructor. Interprets every study personally.
— Schedule Today —
$397 per scan · No referral needed · Mobile throughout Southern Maine · Cardiologist-reviewed report in 24–48 hours · HSA/FSA accepted