Who Is At Risk for Carotid Artery Disease?
Certain traits, conditions, or habits may raise your risk for carotid artery disease. These conditions are known as risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to get the disease. You can control some, but not all, risk factors. The major risk factors for carotid artery disease, listed below, also are the major risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart disease. • Unhealthy blood cholesterol levels. This includes high LDL cholesterol (sometimes called bad cholesterol) and low HDL cholesterol (sometimes called good cholesterol). • High blood pressure. Blood pressure is considered high if it stays at or above 140/90 mmHg over time. • Smoking. This can damage and tighten blood vessels, raise cholesterol levels, and raise blood pressure. Smoking also can limit how much oxygen reaches the body’s tissues. • Older age. As you get older, your risk for carotid artery disease goes up. About 1 percent of adults aged 50 to 59 have major plaque buildup in the
