In our country carotid artery disease is extremely common, in fact almost all people by the age of 80 will be affected by some degree with this disease.

Carotid artery disease is the build up of cholesterol in the arteries. It's similar to coronary artery disease however it's just affecting the larger vessel that feeds the brain, rather than the heart.

Cardiologist Stephen Longobardi explains, "It's concerning because carotid artery disease, the only first presentation in most people can be a stroke. There is generally no other symptom that arises until a patient has a stroke."

Dr. Longobardi says that the ultrasound machine is also excellent at diagnosing people that may be at risk for hardening or narrowing of the arteries such as the carotid. "So if there's some evidence of blockages, by typically ultrasound that is determined, I think that people should be very aggressively treated to prevent progression of disease."

Patient Doris Bowker says that "I did all of the normal things that I needed to do for testing and they found a few blockages that needed to be taken care of."

Dr. Longobardi also says that treatment for carotid artery disease is dependent on how severe the blockage is. Generally blockages less than 70% are treated with aggressive medications. "Generally for arteries that are blocked more than 70% there are some surgical interventions."

Other than aging, people who are at high risk for carotid artery disease include heavy smokers, people with high cholesterol, diabetes and those who have a family history of heart disease.

Fortunately, you may be able to prevent or slow carotid artery disease. Quitting smoking is the most important change you can make to avoid this disease