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What Does 40% Blockage In Right Carotid Artery Indicate?
Question: I am a 61 female and have 40% blockage in right carotid artery just discovered about two weeks ago. How significant is it and should I be worried?
Brief Answer:
Mild CAD; low risk of stroke if worsens
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and am here to help you. Carotid artery disease (CAD) is your diagnosis ma'am.
The most significant effect CAD can have is a stroke. I do not wish to alarm you, but only to warn you in order to prevent further complications. Let us start by listing factors that can result in further narrowing of your artery(ies) and try to avoid them. They are:
-Smoking
-Hypertension
-High levels of cholesterol
-Age: As time passes, you will have to be more vigilent and careful with your health and health assessments
-Obesity
-Diabetes
-Lack of exercise
-High saturated fats in diet
A 40 % block is still considered mild, but with time and lack of attention can certainly result in serious complications. Mild CAD does not usually result in symptoms, which is your case. But once symptoms start showing it results in a stroke, which is what we need to avoid.
You need not be worried ma'am as stress is not going to do us any good. Instead concentrate on being health, and speak to your doctor to conduct a lipid profile for you and about the need for the introduction of statins in your treatment regimen.
I hope you find my response helpful and informative ma'am. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to further assist you.
Best wishes.
Mild CAD; low risk of stroke if worsens
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and am here to help you. Carotid artery disease (CAD) is your diagnosis ma'am.
The most significant effect CAD can have is a stroke. I do not wish to alarm you, but only to warn you in order to prevent further complications. Let us start by listing factors that can result in further narrowing of your artery(ies) and try to avoid them. They are:
-Smoking
-Hypertension
-High levels of cholesterol
-Age: As time passes, you will have to be more vigilent and careful with your health and health assessments
-Obesity
-Diabetes
-Lack of exercise
-High saturated fats in diet
A 40 % block is still considered mild, but with time and lack of attention can certainly result in serious complications. Mild CAD does not usually result in symptoms, which is your case. But once symptoms start showing it results in a stroke, which is what we need to avoid.
You need not be worried ma'am as stress is not going to do us any good. Instead concentrate on being health, and speak to your doctor to conduct a lipid profile for you and about the need for the introduction of statins in your treatment regimen.
I hope you find my response helpful and informative ma'am. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to further assist you.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
What are Statins?
Brief Answer:
Statins: Cholesterol-lowering medications
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
Statins are a group of medications that help lower youe cholesterol. The purpose of lowering your cholesterol is to help widen the space in the carotid artery.
When cholesterol levels increase, they get deposited inside the lumen of blood vessels, making them narrow and thus resulting in blockage. By reducing the level of cholesterol we can not only prevent further narrowing but also reduce the already narrowed lumen of any blood vessel.
I hope I have explained this in a manner best understood by you ma'am. Please do not hesitate to write to me if ar all you have any further clarifications, or if I have not explained things clearly enough.
Best wishes.
Statins: Cholesterol-lowering medications
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
Statins are a group of medications that help lower youe cholesterol. The purpose of lowering your cholesterol is to help widen the space in the carotid artery.
When cholesterol levels increase, they get deposited inside the lumen of blood vessels, making them narrow and thus resulting in blockage. By reducing the level of cholesterol we can not only prevent further narrowing but also reduce the already narrowed lumen of any blood vessel.
I hope I have explained this in a manner best understood by you ma'am. Please do not hesitate to write to me if ar all you have any further clarifications, or if I have not explained things clearly enough.
Best wishes.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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