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Article: Treat clogged carotid arteries to reduce your stroke risk: is surgery the answer? Understanding your options can help you plan treatment with your doctor.
- Article from:
- Mind, Mood & Memory
- Article date:
- November 1, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Belvoir Media Group, LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Each year, as many as 140,000 Americans suffer ischemic strokes that are caused by a condition called carotid stenosis, a narrowing or blockage of carotid arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain. Caused by the accumulation of a type of cholesterol plaque associated with coronary heart disease, the narrowing can lead to the formation of blood clots that break free and travel to the brain, or can narrow the artery to the point of decreasing blood flow, thus triggering a stroke. The American Academy of Neurology estimates that carotid stenosis accounts for 15 to 20 percent of all ischemic strokes. Risk increases with age: two-thirds of stroke victims are over 65.