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Contemporary medical therapies of atherosclerotic carotid artery disease

Cheng, SF; Brown, MM; (2017) Contemporary medical therapies of atherosclerotic carotid artery disease. SEMINARS IN VASCULAR SURGERY , 30 (1) pp. 8-16. 10.1053/j.semvascsurg.2017.04.005. Green open access

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Abstract

Contemporary medical therapy consists of identification and treatment of all patient-modifiable vascular risk factors. Specific atherosclerotic disease therapies are designed to reduce the risk of thrombosis, and the disease progression in order to reduce the risk of future cardiovascular events. Contemporary medical management emphasizes the need to support the patient in achieving lifestyle modifications and to adjust medication to achieve individualized target values for specific quantifiable risk factors. Antiplatelet therapy in the form of aspirin or clopidogrel is routinely used for the prevention of ischemic stroke in patients who have had a transient ischemic attack or stroke. There is evidence from a recent trial that the use of combination antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel started within 24 hours of minor stroke or transient ischemic attack reduces the risk of recurrent stroke compared to the use of aspirin alone, and therefore we use aspirin plus clopidogrel in recently symptomatic patients with carotid stenosis pending carotid revascularization. Anticoagulation with heparins or vitamin K antagonist is not recommended except in patients at risk for cardio-embolic events. Lowering blood pressure to target levels has been shown to slow down the progression of carotid artery stenosis and reduces the intima-media thickness of the carotid plaque, while lowering lipid levels with statins has become an essential element in the medical therapy of carotid artery stenosis. Diabetes management should be optimized. Lifestyle choices, including tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, obesity, and excessive alcohol intake, are all important modifiable vascular risk factors. The combination of dietary modification, physical exercise, and use of aspirin, a statin, and an antihypertensive agent can be expected to give a cumulative relative stroke risk reduction of 80%. The evidence suggests that intensive medical therapy is so effective that carotid revascularization may no longer be necessary in many of the patients in whom carotid surgery or stenting is currently performed. Two large ongoing trials are therefore comparing the risks and benefits of carotid revascularization versus intensive medical therapy alone.

Type: Article
Title: Contemporary medical therapies of atherosclerotic carotid artery disease
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1053/j.semvascsurg.2017.04.005
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semvascsurg.2017.04.005
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Surgery, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Cardiovascular System & Cardiology, Transient Ischemic Attack, High-Risk Patients, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Acute Minor Stroke, Myocardial-Infarction, Randomized-Trial, Cardiovascular Events, Symptomatic Patients, Recurrent Stroke, Vascular Events
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology > Brain Repair and Rehabilitation
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1572171
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