Abstract

BARNES DOMINGUEZ, José A. Medical treatment of the carotid disease. Rev Cubana Angiol Cir Vasc. [online]. 2014, vol.15, n.2, pp. 145-152. ISSN 1682-0037.

Introduction: the cerebrovascular diseases hold the first place for their frequency in all the neurological disorders and, additionally they are the most prevailing disabling neurological pathologies found in the adult population older than 65 years. Objective: to update information on the medical treatment of the carotid disease. Methods: searches were made in the record of assays of the Cochrane Peripheral Vascular Diseases Group, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in the Cochrane Library, in MEDLINE, and articles published on different web pages. Information synthesis: ten to fifteen percent of the ischemic cerebrovascular accidents are caused by symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid disease. For this purpose, the medical treatment includes the detection or diagnosis of the risk factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, drug addiction; the specific diet for every risk profile, the control of obesity, as well as the use of antiplatelet aggregation therapy, antihypertensives only for hypertensive patients, and statins for dyslipidemic and non dyslipemic patients. A long-term medical treatment is recommended to treat this disease with antiplatelet aggregation drugs and statins. Conclusions: emphasis should be made on the formation of multidisciplinary groups for the comprehensive management of these patients in terms of diagnosis and treatment, taking into consideration the preventive strategies for the cerebrovascular disease, the knowledge of the vascular risk factors and healthy lifestyles.

Keywords : carotid disease; risk factors; medical treatment.

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