School of Medicine

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and morbidity in the United States. Various modifiable risk factors have been identified, which elevate the risk of stroke. Two such risk factors include hypertension and carotid artery stenosis. Moreover, carotid artery atherosclerosis, even when asymptomatic or when subclinical stenosis is present, has been shown to increase the risk of future stroke. As such, proper treatment of carotid artery stenosis and hypertension plays a critical role in the future reduction of stroke incidence.