Bridging the gap between the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, carotid plaques, and contributing to patient care is envisioned by incorporating bench research into technological interventions. Stroke is a massive public health problem, and in stroke care, immediate assessment and treatment are essential to reduce the risk of death and disability [1, 2]. However, many patients do not receive them due to lack of specialist services. Investigating the aetiology and underlying cause of stroke is key to prevention and rapid recovery. While health care professionals are using the latest technological interventions for the diagnosis and management of the stroke patient, the underlying pathology must be figured out, in order to bridge the gap between diagnosis and long-term care of the stroke patient. At least 20% of ischaemic strokes are caused by carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques [3, 4]. The determination of circulating inflammatory markers have the potential to identify individuals with symptomatic and unstable plaques [1, 5]. Patients with vulnerable plaques usually have a complex disease history and unpredictable road map of recovery.