CAROTID ARTERY DISEASE

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Carotid Artery Disease

Carotid artery disease occurs when fatty deposits (plaques) clog the blood vessels that deliver blood to your brain and head (carotid arteries). The blockage increases your risk of stroke, a medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted or seriously reduced.

Stroke deprives your brain of oxygen. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. Stroke is the most common cause of death and the leading cause of permanent disability in the U.S.

Carotid artery disease develops slowly. The first sign that you have the condition may be a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA is a temporary shortage of blood flow to your brain.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of a stroke or TIA include:

Sudden numbness or weakness in the face or limbs, often on only one side of the body
Sudden trouble speaking and understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden dizziness or loss of balance
Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Treatment

The goal in treating carotid artery disease is to prevent stroke. Specific treatments depend on the extent of blockage in your carotid arteries.

If blockage is mild to moderate, your doctor may recommend:

Lifestyle changes to slow the progression of atherosclerosis: Recommendations may include quitting smoking, losing weight, eating healthy foods, reducing salt, and exercising regularly.
Medication to control blood pressure or lower cholesterol: Your doctor may also recommend taking a daily aspirin or other blood-thinning medication to prevent blood clots.

If blockage is severe, or if you’ve already had a TIA or stroke, your doctor may recommend removing the blockage from the artery.

Risk factors

High blood pressure. Excess pressure on artery walls can weaken them and make them more vulnerable to damage.
Tobacco use. Nicotine can irritate the inner lining of your arteries. Smoking also increases your heart rate and blood pressure.
Diabetes. Diabetes lowers your ability to process fats efficiently, placing you at greater risk of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.
High blood-fat levels. High levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high levels of triglycerides, a blood fat, encourage the accumulation of plaques.
Family history. Your risk of carotid artery disease is higher if a relative has atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease.
Age. Arteries become less flexible and more prone to injury with age.
Obesity. Excess weight increases your chances of high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and diabetes.
Sleep apnea. Spells of stopping breathing at night may increase your risk of stroke.
Lack of exercise. It contributes to conditions that damage your arteries, including high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

Prevention

Don’t smoke. Within a few years of quitting, a former smoker’s risk of stroke is similar to a nonsmoker’s.
Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight contributes to other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and sleep apnea.
Limit cholesterol and fat. Cutting back on saturated fat, in particular, may reduce the buildup of plaques in your arteries.
Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. They contain nutrients such as potassium, folate and antioxidants, which may protect against a TIA or stroke.
Limit salt. Excess salt (sodium) may increase blood pressure in people who are sensitive to sodium.
Exercise regularly. Exercise can lower your blood pressure, increase your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — the “good” cholesterol — and improve the overall health of your blood vessels and heart.
Limit alcohol.