title: Management strategies for asymptomatic carotid stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: Adults with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis are at increased risk for ipsilateral carotid territory ischemic stroke.
  
  
  
  To examine comparative evidence on management strategies for asymptomatic carotid stenosis and the incidence of ipsilateral stroke with medical therapy alone.
  
  
  
  MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, U.S. Food and Drug Administration documents, and review of references through 31 December 2012.
  
  
  
  Randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective or retrospective nonrandomized, comparative studies of medical therapy alone, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) plus medical therapy, or carotid artery stenting (CAS) plus medical therapy for adults with asymptomatic carotid stenosis, as well as single-group prospective cohort studies of medical therapy, were reviewed.
  
  
  
  Two investigators extracted information on study and population characteristics, results, and risk of bias.
  
  
  
  Forty-seven studies in 56 publications were eligible. The RCTs comparing CAS and CEA were clinically heterogeneous; 1 RCT reported more but not statistically significant ipsilateral stroke events (including any periprocedural stroke) in CAS compared with CEA, whereas another RCT, in a population at high surgical risk for CEA, did not. Three RCTs showed that CEA reduced the risk for ipsilateral stroke (including any periprocedural stroke) compared with medical therapy alone, but these results may no longer be applicable to contemporary clinical practice. No RCT compared CAS versus medical therapy alone. The summary incidence of ipsilateral stroke across 26 cohorts receiving medical therapy alone was 1.68% per year.
  
  
  
  Studies defined asymptomatic status heterogeneously. Participants in RCTs did not receive best-available medical therapy.
  
  
  
  Future RCTs of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis should explore whether revascularization interventions provide benefit to patients treated by best-available medical therapy.
  
  
  
  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
authors: Tufts Center for Clinical Evidence Synthesis, Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA
authors: Gowri
authors: G
authors: Raman
authors: Tufts Center for Clinical Evidence Synthesis, Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA
authors: Denish
authors: D
authors: Moorthy
authors: Center for Evidence-based Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI
authors: Nira
authors: N
authors: Hadar
authors: Center for Evidence-based Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI
authors: Issa J
authors: IJ
authors: Dahabreh
authors: Department of Vascular Surgery, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA
authors: Thomas F
authors: TF
authors: O'Donnell
authors: Department of Neurology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA
authors: David E
authors: DE
authors: Thaler
authors: Department of Neurology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Feldmann
authors: Center for Evidence-based Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Lau
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA
authors: Georgios D
authors: GD
authors: Kitsios
mesh_terms: D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology*