More than 3% of older adults in the United States have been diagnosed with carotid artery disease, a condition where the coronary arteries narrow due to fatty deposits or plaque buildup. Carotid artery disease is one of the major risk factors for stroke.
Carlos Mena, MD, professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine) at Yale School of Medicine, is the site principal investigator for CREST-2, a multi-center, National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored, international randomized clinical trial. The trial aims to compare different methods of stroke prevention to determine the safest and most effective treatment options for individuals with carotid artery disease.
In the following Q&A, Mena discusses his work in the clinical trial and shares new findings that could potentially change the landscape for treating the disease.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in November 2025 and was updated to reflect new insights from the CREST-H study.
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The research reported in this news article was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (awards US01NS080168 and U01NS080165); the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Yale University. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH, CMS, HHS, or other funders.
Source: https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/new-landscape-carotid-artery-disease-treatment