Carotid Artery Disease

Risks

People can modify several known risk factors to reduce their risk of having a stroke. These include high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, obesity and high cholesterol/lipids.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the most prevalent and treatable risk factor for stroke. Blood pressure should be kept below 140/90 mm Hg. Both the systolic (top number) and the diastolic (bottom number) are important. One study has shown that reducing the diastolic blood pressure by just 6 mm Hg reduces the risk of a future stroke by 42 percent.

Cigarette smoking doubles the chance of having a stroke. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked; thus, the two-pack-a-day smoker has a greater risk than a one-pack-a-day smoker. If a person has smoked but quit, the risk of having a stroke in the future is reduced. Cigarette smoking is also a risk factor for developing narrowing of the carotid artery after it has been surgically corrected. This makes it especially important that the patient stop smoking after a carotid endarterectomy to treat carotid artery disease.

People who are overweight have a higher chance of having high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which increases the chance of having a stroke. Even modest weight gain (24 to 43 pounds over 16 years) can almost double your chances of suffering a stroke.

Much has been learned about serum cholesterol and lipid levels in the past decade. Keeping serum cholesterol and lipids within the recommended range may result in a 30 percent reduction in fatal and nonfatal stroke compared to someone with elevated cholesterol and lipids. Also, increased cholesterol is a risk factor for recurrent narrowing of the carotid artery after endarterectomy.

All of these risk factors can be changed and doing so can significantly reduce your risk of having a stroke. However, changing your lifestyle can be very difficult. Your physician can be a great resource for help. Overall, making lasting changes in risk factors and following your doctor's treatment plans can decrease your chances of suffering a stroke more than tenfold.