No Need to Screen All Adults for Clogged Neck Arteries, Experts Say

MONDAY, Feb. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) — Adults in the general population should not be screened for narrowing of the neck arteries, according to a draft recommendation from the influential U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

Narrowing of the neck arteries, formally called “carotid artery stenosis,” reduces blood flow to the brain and is a risk factor for stroke.

“The carotid artery is the blood vessel that brings blood to the brain,” explained Dr. Peter Faries, chief of vascular surgery at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. “It starts in the chest and travels through the neck until it enters the skull.”

Faries, who was not involved in drafting the new recommendations, explained that a buildup of fatty deposits in the carotid artery can lead to “narrowing or blockage of the blood flow to the brain. These carotid narrowings, or stenosis, can lead to a stroke in the patients that have them.”

He said, “Often times, the first indication that a stenosis is present in the carotid artery is when the patient suffers a stroke.” Read more