Stroke and Carotid Artery Disease

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States and worldwide. An expansive literature reviews the etiology of stroke and associated risk factors. This chapter focuses on stroke and carotid artery disease, a major culprit of ischemic stroke. The carotid arteries supply the brain and neck with oxygenated blood; however, when these arteries become stenosed, these structures are compromised. Due to the deleterious relationship of stroke and carotid artery disease, this chapter will look at the two, side by side, in order to reveal the pathophysiology of disease from a behavioral medicine perspective. Common risk factors of cardiovascular disease cannot fully account for the burden of stroke and carotid artery disease. As such, a rapidly growing literature on the psychological, emotional, and social factors that contribute to the disease has emerged and proven to be significant. This chapter briefly reviews the etiology and traditional pathophysiology of stroke and carotid artery disease. We then expand on emerging perspectives highlighting the role of behavioral medicine in understanding stroke and carotid artery disease risks and conclude with recent findings steering future research in this area.