Atherosclerosis of the carotid bifurcation is an observable sign of systemic disease driven by key risk factors and resulting in an epidemic of stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death worldwide. Aggressive integrative preventive interventions of controlling hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking, systemic inflammation/infarction, depression, and hyperhomocyst(e)imia are needed in the medical management of these high-risk patients. Surgical indications for asymptomatic surgery may be recalled through the acronym CAROTID, which emphasizes knowledge of risk benefit to a particular patient, adequate disclosure, and physician--patient equipoise
