Carotid Artery DiseaseSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Carotid Artery Disease
Carotid artery disease is when the carotid arteries become narrowed or blocked.
The carotid arteries provide part of the main blood supply to your brain. They are located on each side of your neck. You can feel their pulse under your jawline.
Carotid stenosis; Stenosis - carotid; Stroke - carotid artery; TIA - carotid artery
Carotid artery disease occurs when fatty material called plaque builds up inside the arteries. This buildup of plaque is called hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
The plaque may slowly block or narrow the carotid artery. Or it may cause a clot to form suddenly. A clot that blocks the artery enough to reduce blood flow can lead to a stroke.
Risk factors for blockage or narrowing of the arteries include:
- Smoking (people who smoke one pack a day double their risk for stroke)
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol and triglycerides
- Older age
- Family history of stroke or blood vessel disorder
- Alcohol use
- Recreational drug use
- Trauma to the neck area, which may cause a tear in the carotid artery
- Radiation therapy to the neck
At early stages, you may not have any symptoms. After plaque builds up, the first symptoms of carotid artery disease may be a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA is due to a temporary reduction in blood flow to the brain that doesn't cause any lasting damage.
Symptoms of stroke and TIA include:
- Blurred vision
- Confusion
- Loss of memory
- Loss of sensation in one part of your body
- Problems with speech and language, including loss of speech
- Vision loss (partial or complete blindness)
- Weakness in one part of your body
- Problems with thinking, reasoning, and memory
Treatment options for carotid artery disease include:
- Blood-thinning medicines such as aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), ticagrelor (Brilinta), warfarin (Coumadin), dabigatran (Pradaxa), or others to lower your risk for stroke
- Medicine and diet changes to lower your cholesterol or blood pressure
- No treatment, other than checking your carotid artery periodically
You may have certain procedures to treat a narrowed or blocked carotid artery:
- Carotid endarterectomy -- This surgery removes the plaque buildup in the carotid arteries.
- Carotid angioplasty and stenting -- This procedure opens a blocked artery and places a tiny wire mesh (stent) in the artery to keep it open.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Marc Schermerhorn is a Vascular Surgeon practicing medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Schermerhorn is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Carotid Artery Disease. He is also highly rated in 26 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA), Carotid Artery Disease, Aneurysm Repair, and Carotid Artery Surgery. Dr. Schermerhorn is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.
Corewell Health Vascular Surgery - 275 Michigan St NE
Vikram Kashyap is a Vascular Surgeon practicing medicine in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has been practicing medicine for over 36 years. Dr. Kashyap is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Carotid Artery Disease. He is also highly rated in 16 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Carotid Artery Disease, Peripheral Artery Disease, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Carotid Artery Surgery, and Stent Placement. Dr. Kashyap is board certified in American Board Of Surgery. Dr. Kashyap is currently accepting new patients.
Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center
Dr. Hicks specializes in congenital aortic pathologies including aberrant subclavian arteries and aortic coarctation, thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms, complex lower extremity revascularization including lower extremity bypasses and stenting, and carotid endarterectomy. She is skilled in both open and endovascular surgery for the treatment of aortic and peripheral disease. She is also accomplished in clinical research with over 130 peer-reviewed publications and numerous textbook chapters; her research interests include clinical outcomes in aneurysm repair and lower extremity revascularization, as well as high-value care in vascular surgery. A distinguished fellow of the American Board of Surgery, Dr. Hicks is the recipient of the Department of Surgery Rothman Early Career Development Award for Surgical Research and was selected as a Visiting Scholar to the American Board of Medical Specialties for 2018-2019. She is also an appointed member of a CMS Clinical Expert Subcommittee tasked with refining peripheral vascular disease cost measures for implementation in the Quality Payment Program. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-hicks-b211b617/. Dr. Hicks is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Carotid Artery Disease. She is also highly rated in 17 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Carotid Artery Disease, Peripheral Artery Disease, Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, Carotid Artery Surgery, and Stent Placement. Dr. Hicks is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.
Because there are no symptoms, you may not know you have carotid artery disease until you have a stroke or TIA.
- Some people who have a stroke recover most or all of their functions.
- Others die of the stroke itself or from complications.
- About one half of people who have a stroke have long-term problems.
Major complications of carotid artery disease are:
- Transient ischemic attack. This occurs when a blot clot briefly blocks a blood vessel to the brain. It causes the same symptoms as a stroke. Symptoms last only a few minutes to an hour or two, but no longer than 24 hours. A TIA does not cause lasting damage. TIAs are a warning sign that a stroke may happen in the future if nothing is done to prevent it.
- Stroke. When the blood supply to the brain is partly or completely blocked, it may cause a stroke. Most often, this happens when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel to the brain. A stroke can also occur when a blood vessel breaks open or leaks. Strokes can cause long-term brain damage or death.
Go to the emergency room or call the local emergency number (such as 911) as soon as symptoms occur. The sooner you receive treatment, the better your chance for recovery. With a stroke, every second of delay can cause more brain injury.
Here's what you can do to help prevent carotid artery disease and stroke:
- Quit smoking.
- Follow a healthy, low-fat diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits.
- Do not drink more than 1 to 2 alcoholic drinks a day.
- Do not use recreational drugs.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.
- Get your cholesterol checked every 5 years. If you are being treated for high cholesterol, you may need to have it checked more often.
- Get your blood pressure checked every 1 to 2 years. If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or you have had a stroke, you need to have it checked more often. Ask your provider what is best for you.
- Follow your provider's treatment recommendations if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart disease.
Summary: The purpose of this prospective, multicenter, single-group target-value study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the carotid artery stent system in patients with high-risk features for carotid endarterectomy. This trial is utilizing the carotid artery stent system provided by Shanghai HeartCare Medical Technology Co., Ltd. and will be conducted at approximately 10 interventional neurology c...
Summary: Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) has emerged as a promising non-invasive strategy to protect the brain, with evidence suggesting its benefit in patients with carotid artery stenting (CAS). However, the long-term benefit and safety of chronic RIC in this population remain unknown. This trial aims to evaluate whether chronic RIC reduces the incidence of major vascular events and improves clinical ...
Published Date: July 17, 2025
Published By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Biller J, Schneck MJ, Ruland S. Ischemic cerebrovascular disease. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 65.
Kleindorfer DO, Towfighi A, Chaturvedi S, et al. 2021 Guideline for the prevention of stroke in patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack: A Guideline from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2021;52(7):e364-e467. PMID: 34024117 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34024117/.
Nguyen TN, Jovin TG, Nogueira RG, Zaidat OO. Principles of neuroendovascular therapy. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 54.