Carotid Stiffness and Cerebrovascular Disease The Physiology Beyond the Anatomy ∗

Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and disability worldwide, and the disease burden has progressively increased over the past decades. A rising interest in identifying risk factors for cerebrovascular disease may finally shift the focus to prevention of future events (1). Several studies have investigated carotid disease, and specifically carotid stiffness, as a risk factor for the development of cerebrovascular disease and incident stroke. These studies have been limited, however, by inconsistent results. Some reported a significant association between carotid stiffness and stroke, whereas others failed to identify an association.
Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research