The risk factors for carotid artery disease are similar to those for coronary artery disease - atherosclerosis of the main arteries carrying oxygen-rich blood to the heart (the coronary arteries). Therefore, people with one condition often have other cardiovascular problems. risk factors for both (as shown by a coronary risk profile) that can be modified include the following:

Risk factors that cannot be modified include the following:

• Gender. Men and women face different risks. For example, women are more likely to both have a stroke and die from a stroke, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
  
  
• Advanced age. Cardiovascular diseases, as well as peripheral arterial disease, tend to affect older people more than younger people. 
  
  
• Ethnicity. Members of certain groups, such as black Americans, have a higher statistical risk for high blood pressure, which, in turn, is a risk factor for both stroke and heart attack
  
  
• A family history of carotid artery disease or coronary artery disease.