Carotid Artery Disease

Your carotid artery starts at your aorta (the main blood vessel that carries blood throughout your body). It branches at your throat into your internal and external carotid arteries. The internal carotid artery takes blood to your brain. The external carotid artery takes blood to your face.

Carotid artery disease occurs when fat deposits (called plaque) build up and block your carotid arteries. This process is called atherosclerosis. These blockages are made of cholesterol, fat and blood cells. They reduce blood flow to your brain and increase your risk of stroke.

Carotid artery disease develops slowly over time. Early-stage disease usually doesn’t produce symptoms. Your first sign may be a stroke.

Seek medical attention immediately if any of these stroke symptoms appear suddenly:

There are several risk factors for developing carotid artery disease. Some are avoidable. Others are not.

Risk factors for this condition include:

• Age: Your arteries are less flexible or more vulnerable to injury as you get older.
• Diabetes: Diabetes makes it harder for your body to process fats. This increases your risk of atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
• Family history: Your risk is higher if you have a family member with atherosclerosis or carotid artery disease.
• Gender: Men are at greater risk for carotid artery disease.
• High blood pressure: Damage from high blood pressure weakens your artery walls.
• High cholesterol: Too much cholesterol in your blood can lead to plaque buildup.
• Lack of exercise: Not getting enough exercise contributes to diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. These conditions can damage your arteries.
• Obesity: Excess weight increases your risk for atherosclerosis, diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Smoking: Smoking raises your heart rate and blood pressure. Nicotine can also damage your arteries.
• Sleep apnea: This condition increases your risk of stroke because you stop breathing several times a night.

Our cardiovascular specialists use a variety of tools to diagnose carotid artery disease. They start by listening to the carotid artery in your neck during a physical exam. A blocked or narrowed artery makes a “swoosh” sound.

They may also recommend a diagnostic imaging test to see the condition of your carotid artery.

• CT angiography or MR angiography: These tests use contrast dye to capture clear pictures of your neck and brain.
• CT or MRI: These tests can show if you’ve had a stroke.
• Ultrasound: This test captures real-time images of your blood flow and the pressure inside your carotid artery.

Controlling and reducing your carotid artery disease is possible. Several lifestyle changes can improve your condition. These include:

If you have carotid artery disease, vascular surgeons at Emory Heart & Vascular will determine the best treatment path for you depending on how severe the narrowing is and where it's located. Treatment may include surgery or placement of a stent through a small incision. Sometimes, our team decides to treat the blockage with medication alone.

Our vascular surgeons have extensive experience working with patients with carotid artery blockage. We've treated thousands of patients with this problem using medical and surgical therapies.