Carotid artery disease

Blood flow to the brain matters

An uninterrupted blood supply to key areas of the brain is critical for brain function. But atherosclerosis — which causes blood vessels to narrow due to buildup of fatty deposits (plaques) — may create a significant risk of stroke if blood flow is impaired in the carotid arteries that lead to your brain.

More than half the strokes in the United States are attributed to carotid artery disease. Typically, carotid artery disease develops slowly, often going unnoticed. A stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) — which can be an early warning sign of a future stroke — may be the first outward sign that there's a problem.

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