Atherosclerosis and Acute Ischemic Stroke Study

A significant proportion of strokes are thromboembolic in nature, arising from atherosclerotic plaque at the carotid bifurcation. It is now wellknown that inflammation plays a key role in atherogenesis and plaque destabilization. However the identification and characterization of the different inflammatory factors, as well as their relative importance, have not been clarified. This main aim of this study is to identify new risk markers for atherosclerosis and to characterize more precise methods for detection of the unstable carotid plaque with increased stroke-risk.