Carotid Top 10 Priorities (priority setting in association with the JLA)

A workshop was held on 21st September 2021 to bring together patients and healthcare professionals to jointly agree a priority list for carotid research.  The results were as follows:

1. Can doctors accurately predict which people with carotid artery disease are most at risk of a stroke?
2. Is there an association between carotid disease and cognitive decline?
3. What is the optimal management of patients with carotid disease using individualised risk benefit ratios?
4. Can the appearance of carotid narrowings (also called plaques) help predict an individual patient's stroke risk?
5. What is the best treatment for carotid artery disease? E.g.medicines, life-style changes, intervention.
6. What can be done to prevent re-narrowing and recurrent symptoms following carotid surgery?
7. Is screening for carotid artery disease worthwhile, and if so, what is the best screening test?
8. Following carotid surgery, is surveillance (i.e, scanning to detect re-narrowing) of the treated artery necessary?
9. Is surveillance of patients with known carotid artery disease worthwhile?
10. What is the optimal antiplatelet regime following carotid endarterectomy?

The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:

11. How can the problems carotid artery disease can cause be better explained to patients and members of the public? E.g. warning signs and stroke risk
12. What is the role of monitoring brain perfusion during surgery? E.g. Trans cranial doppler
13. Are chronic kidney disease and carotid artery disease connected?
14. Is enhanced recovery beneficial following carotid endarterectomy?