What is Carotid Artery Disease?
Carotid artery disease results from a blockage or narrowing of the carotid arteries. This narrowing is also called carotid artery stenosis.
The carotid arteries are major blood vessels that provide your brain’s blood supply. You have two carotid arteries, one on either side of your neck.
Carotid artery disease causes up to one-third of all strokes. A stroke occurs when something blocks blood flow to your brain, causing brain injury. Treatment for carotid artery stenosis can dramatically reduce this risk.
Causes and Risk Factors of Carotid Artery Disease
Carotid artery disease, like other arterial disease, can develop when you have atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. This condition is a buildup of fatty deposits called plaque.
Plaque can slowly squeeze the artery closed, reducing blood flow. Or a blood clot may suddenly form, blocking some or all of the blood flow to your brain. If the clot closes the artery completely, you may have a stroke.
Risk factors for carotid artery disease include:
- Diabetes mellitus
- Family history of stroke
- High blood pressure, high cholesterol or high triglycerides
- Older age, especially if you are male
- Smoking or using alcohol or recreational drugs
- Trauma to your neck
Carotid Artery Blockage Symptoms
Many people don’t have symptoms of carotid artery disease in its early stages. Your doctor may notice an atypical sound called a bruit when listening to your pulse. This faint whistling sound is a distinctive sign of a carotid artery blockage.
As the condition advances, the most common first sign of carotid artery disease may be a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also called a mini-stroke. For some people, a stroke is the first sign of any problem.
If you suspect that you or someone you know is having a stroke or TIA, seek medical care immediately. Getting care quickly can dramatically reduce the chance of long-term damage.
Symptoms of stroke and TIA include:
- Blurred vision or vision loss
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Numbness or weakness in part of your body or one side of your body
- Problems with thinking, reasoning, memory and speech
Diagnosing Carotid Artery Disease
To diagnose carotid artery disease, we perform a physical exam. We’ll specifically listen to the blood flow in your neck for a bruit. Your doctor may also have you see a neurologist, who can check for signs of a stroke or TIA.
To assess your overall health and likelihood of carotid artery stenosis, we may order blood tests to check your blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides.
Your doctor may also order imaging tests to examine the blood vessels in your brain and neck. We perform many of these tests in our renowned vascular testing and diagnosis labs. Your tests may include:
- Cerebral angiography: Maps the blood vessels in your brain
- CT angiography (CTA): Uses a contrast material (dye) and a series of X-rays to show detailed images of blood vessels
- MR angiography (MRA): Uses a strong magnetic field to show clear images of a carotid artery blockage
- Ultrasound of the carotid arteries (carotid duplex ultrasound): Checks how your blood flows through the carotid artery
Is Carotid Artery Disease Curable?
Treatment for carotid artery stenosis involves clearing out carotid artery blockages to reduce the likelihood of stroke-causing blood clots. Penn’s Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy Program provides all available therapies for carotid artery disease.
Your treatment for carotid artery disease at Penn might include:
- Blood-thinning medications: Medicines including aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), dabigatran (Pradaxa) or warfarin (Coumadin) help your blood flow more easily and reduce the risk of clots.
- Carotid endarterectomy: The traditional treatment for carotid artery disease, endarterectomy remains the gold standard for clearing the carotid artery. Penn surgeons are experts at performing carotid endarterectomy.
- Carotid angioplasty and stenting: With either type of procedure to clear the carotid artery, we offer expertise in stenting the artery. A carotid artery stent is a small mesh tube. The stent remains in the artery to hold it open, permitting healthy blood flow.
- Transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR): TCAR is a minimally invasive procedure to restore blood flow through your carotid artery with no incision and less downtime. This advanced option is available to people who don’t qualify for open surgery due to their risk criteria. At Penn, we can offer TCAR to most people who have carotid artery disease.
Schedule Your Appointment
Call 800-789-7366 or request a callback.
Penn Programs & Services for Carotid Artery Disease
Our vascular team offers medical care, less-invasive therapies, surgery and second opinions. We have answers for all vascular conditions at every stage.