From coronaries to carotids: A shifting paradigm of plaque vulnerability

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in North America: approximately 500,000 new strokes are reported annually in the USA, 75% of these occurring in the distribution of the carotid arteries. Among strokes of a thromboembolic aetiology, carotid occlusive disease is the most common cause. The 30-day and five-year mortality rates for stroke in the carotid distribution are 17% and 40%, respectively, and as many as 150,300 stroke-related fatalities are documented annually with a total cost for the health-care system of approximately USD18 billion per year.