Older people are afraid of strokes, and many say they would rather die than be paralyzed. The cause of most strokes is cerebral infarction, which is a blockage of the blood vessels supplying the brain, resulting in ischemic infarction of the brain tissue. The blood vessels supplying the brain include a pair of carotid arteries and a pair of vertebral arteries, of which the two carotid arteries provide more than 80% of the blood supply to the brain tissue. Therefore, when carotid artery stenosis occurs, the blood supply to the brain will be significantly reduced, and once the plaque fragments at the carotid artery stenosis site are dislodged, they will block the cerebral blood vessels along the blood flow, leading to stroke. According to statistics, nearly half of the patients who have ischemic stroke are related to carotid stenosis. The main cause of carotid artery stenosis is atherosclerosis. The well-known “three highs” – hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia – are the main causes of atherosclerosis, which is manifested in the carotid artery where carotid artery stenosis occurs. Long-term hypertension can cause damage to blood vessels, which can easily form plaque and cause stenosis. High blood lipids cause increased blood viscosity, which is also prone to vascular stenosis and leads to atherosclerotic occlusion. Diabetes can increase the incidence of the onset of atherosclerotic occlusive disease, and patients with combined diabetes tend to have more severe atherosclerosis than other patients. In addition, smoking is recognized as a human health killer, smoking can also cause arterial constriction, prompting arterial narrowing, accelerating the formation of atherosclerosis. The “three highs” plus smoking are the four major killers of carotid artery stenosis. In addition, obesity, advanced age and unhealthy lifestyle habits such as mental stress and lack of exercise are also risk factors for carotid artery stenosis. The main clinical manifestation of carotid stenosis is transient ischemic attack, or “mini-stroke”: sudden onset of dizziness, temporary blackness of one eye, numbness and weakness of arms and legs, slurred speech, weakness of one limb, unstable holding, and crookedness of the mouth, etc., often recovering within 24 hours. These manifestations are caused by the dislodgement of small plaques of carotid atherosclerosis, resulting in the embolization of small intracranial arteries, which is also an important “early warning” signal. If the dislodgement of larger plaques continues to occur, resulting in the embolization of relatively large intracranial arteries, it may lead to acute cerebral infarction, causing permanent hemiplegia, hemianesthesia, hemianopia and speech dysfunction This can lead to acute cerebral infarction, causing permanent hemiplegia, hemianesthesia, hemianopsia and speech impairment. In terms of treatment, the first and foremost measure is to prevent and treat the diseases that cause carotid artery stenosis, i.e., reasonable treatment of the “three highs”: control blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipids; pay attention to a light diet, avoid a high-salt and high-fat diet, and quit smoking if you smoke; develop good living habits and ensure sleep quality; strengthen exercise and regular medical checkups. However, if the carotid artery has been stenosed, there is no drug that can eliminate the plaque that causes arterial stenosis. Carotid artery stenosis treatment is currently divided into three categories: medication, surgery, and minimally invasive interventional treatment. Drug therapy is mainly antiplatelet therapy, combined with antihypertensive, lipid-lowering and glucose-lowering drugs, which can slow down the development of atherosclerotic stenosis and occlusion. Once the degree of stenosis exceeds 70%, or there is a “mini-stroke” or even a cerebral infarction, it is necessary to take surgical or minimally invasive interventional treatment. Carotid endarterectomy is the classic treatment for carotid artery stenosis, and is of great value in treating severe carotid stenosis and preventing stroke. With technological advances, the use of minimally invasive interventional carotid balloon dilatation stent implantation in the treatment of carotid stenosis is increasing. The advantages of this technique include less trauma, faster recovery, and much shorter hospital stay, especially in elderly patients with cardiopulmonary vascular disease who can prioritize this treatment measure.