Paper Title
Factors Affecting Carotid Atherosclerosis: A Combined Clinical And Statistical Approach

Abstract
Carotid Atherosclerosis is one of the major indicators of cardiovascular diseases. It is responsible for TIA [1] (transient ischemic attack), It is a buildup of fatty deposits known as plaques in the arteries that send blood to the brain. Plaques are clumps that include cholesterol, fat and blood cells that form in the artery. It leads to temporary disruption of blood to the brain, which causes a lack of oxygen, which may result in brain stroke, paralysis, numbness or fatigue. TIA contributes significantly to global morbidity and mortality. This study analyses various lifestyle factors that affect cardiovascular health and lead to carotid plaque formation. In this study, we gathered medical records, lifestyle histories, ultrasounds, and colour Doppler images of the carotid arteries from 18 patients. To analyse, we used a secondary dataset containing similar features (such as age, hypertension, smoking status, and glucose levels) to generate hypotheses about factors influencing carotid plaque. These hypotheses were then tested and validated using the collected patient data. Our findings indicate various factors that affect carotid plaque formation. This research offers actionable insights into early detection and preventive strategies by combining external data-driven hypotheses with real-world clinical validation. Keywords - Carotid plaque, Hypothesis, Cardiovascular health, Analysis