Neck scan may identify heart issues

A SIMPLE neck scan could help to pick up early warning signs of heart failure in men, a study suggests.

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The method - similar to ultrasounds offered during pregnancy - is "safe, cheap and painless", and is something GPs could consider offering patients over 60, researchers said.

The scan, known as a carotid ultrasound, takes between 15 and 30 minutes and is performed using a small handheld device that is moved gently over the neck.

It allows medics to look at the flexibility of the carotid arteries, the main vessels that supply blood to the brain, face and neck.