Almost 800,000 Americans suffer a stroke every year.  Strokes are the third most common cause of death in the US, and are frequently disabling to those who survive.  These sobering numbers are despite the substantial improvement in recent decades in stroke prevention through the use of medications that lower blood pressure and cholesterol. This week’s hubbub relates to carotid arteries, the large arteries in the neck that carry blood to the brain.  But before we dig into the details we have to ...