Diseases & Conditions

Ask the doctor: Carotid artery narrowing

Q.During a recent appointment, my cardiologist heard a sound in my neck and sent me for an ultrasound, which showed a narrowing in my carotid artery. The doctor said this means I'm at risk for a stroke. Because I'm already taking all the right medicines, his only recommendation was getting another ultrasound in a year. But if the narrowing gets worse and I have a stroke, won't that be too late?

A narrowed carotid artery (also called carotid artery stenosis) can increase the risk of stroke—the narrower the artery, the higher the risk. Occasionally, the narrowing itself causes problems by restricting blood flow. But the bigger danger is when a piece of plaque breaks off or a blood clot forms in the narrowed area, leading to a stroke.

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