ABSTRACT
As the population ages, the number of reported age-associated diseases increases. One of these diseases is atherosclerosis. Although atherosclerosis can occur in any arterial location, one critical location is at the carotid bifurcation, as it restricts blood fl ow to the internal carotid artery and, hence, the brain. Stroke is the third leading cause of death, and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States. More than 80% of these strokes are ischemic in nature, and 35% to 40% of ischemic strokes are direct results of large-vessel atherosclerosis ( 1 ). Carotid endarterectomy (CEA), surgical removal of plaque, was pioneered in the 1950s and has become established as the preferred intervention for treating carotid artery stenosis.
