BOSTON - The brain depends on the carotid arteries in the neck to deliver a steady flow of oxygen-rich blood. If one or both of these arteries becomes clogged with cholesterol-filled plaque, choking off blood flow, a procedure to reopen the vessel may be needed. But which one?
The traditional approach is carotid endarterectomy, an operation to open the artery and clean it out. Doctors and medical device companies have hoped that a less invasive approach called angioplasty-opening the blocked artery with a balloon and then propping it open with a stent-would rival endarterectomy. But that hasn't come to pass, reports the June issue of the Harvard Heart Letter.
The main goal of the two procedures is to prevent a stroke, the most feared complication of a narrowed carotid artery. Both do this quite well, with similar recovery times. Yet surgery often turns out to be better than angioplasty, especially for older people, because it has lower rates of post-procedure stroke and death. Although the latest head-to-head trial comparing carotid angioplasty and surgery showed that differences between the two are getting smaller and that in expert hands angioplasty can be a viable alternative, surgery still offers a small extra margin of safety.
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If you have a narrowed carotid artery and it isn't too severe, your best bet is medical therapy, notes the Harvard Heart Letter. This might include taking a medication like aspirin to discourage clotting and a statin to stabilize the plaque. If the narrowing is severe or causes symptoms, surgery has a small edge over angioplasty for most people. Most important, though, is the doctor's experience with the procedure he or she is performing.
Read the full-length article: "Clearing clogged arteries in the neck"
Also in this issue:
* Rehab good for heart
* Getting good produce
* Coronary artery vasospasm
* Earwax and heart disease; Can LDL be too low? and more
The Harvard Heart Letter is available from Harvard Health Publications (www.health.harvard.edu), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $29 per year. Subscribe at www.health.harvard.edu/heart or by calling 877-649-9457 (toll-free).
