Carotid Artery Disease : Risk Factors
What are the risk factors for carotid artery disease?
Carotid artery disease is part of the arterial circulatory system and has similar risk factors as PAD and coronary heart disease:
- Family history of atherosclerosis (build-up of plaque in the peripheral, coronary or carotid arteries)
- Age (Men have a higher risk before age 75. Women have a higher risk after age 75)
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol, and especially high amounts of "low density lipoprotein" (or LDL, the bad form of cholesterol)—although this risk factor appears to be less strong for stroke than it is for coronary artery disease
Most importantly, if you have an atherosclerotic artery disease such as PAD or coronary heart disease, you are at high risk for carotid artery disease and stroke.
Carotid Artery Disease section was last modified: October 31, 2008 - 05:27 pm
