Wall shear rate in supra-aortic vessels: a factor for different atherosclerotic pattern?

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Hemodynamics
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Atherosclerotic lesions disproportionately affect the left subclavian artery origin compared to the right.
• Understanding the underlying causes of this asymmetry is crucial for preventing cardiovascular disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate potential differences in hemodynamic forces, specifically peak wall shear rate (WSR), within the supra-aortic arteries of healthy subjects.
• To determine if WSR variations could explain the predilection for atherosclerosis in certain arterial locations.

Main Methods:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with high-resolution flow velocity measurements was employed.
• Peak wall shear rate (WSR) and blood flow were assessed in the left carotid, left subclavian, and innominate arteries.
• Ten healthy volunteers (5 female, mean age 35.2 years) participated in the study.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in maximum WSR were observed among the three large supra-aortic vessels.
• A significant difference in WSR was found only between the proximal and distal walls of the innominate artery (p = 0.011).

Conclusions:

• The study indicates that WSR is generally consistent across the investigated supra-aortic vessels.
• Differences in hemodynamic forces like WSR may not fully explain the observed atherosclerotic patterns in the subclavian and innominate arteries.