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Relation of vessel wall shear stress to atherosclerosis progression in human coronary arteries

C M Gibson1, L Diaz, K Kandarpa

  • 1Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.

Arteriosclerosis and Thrombosis : a Journal of Vascular Biology
|February 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Low vessel wall shear stress is linked to faster atherosclerosis progression in coronary arteries. This finding supports the role of shear stress in the development of cardiovascular disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Science
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Atherosclerosis progression varies significantly between arterial segments, even within the same patient.
  • The role of hemodynamic forces, specifically vessel wall shear stress (WSS), in this variation is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between WSS and the rate of atherosclerosis progression in human coronary arteries.
  • To determine if low WSS is a predictor of accelerated plaque development.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative angiography was used to measure changes in coronary arterial diameter over 3 years in 20 arterial segments.
  • Vessel wall shear stress was calculated using a finite-difference model of the Navier-Stokes' equation.
  • Correlation analysis was performed between WSS and changes in arterial diameter.

Main Results:

  • A significant correlation (p < 0.05) between low WSS and increased atherosclerosis progression was observed in 15 out of 20 arterial segments.
  • Overall analysis combining all segments confirmed a significant correlation (z = 0.37, p < 0.0001) between low WSS and accelerated plaque growth.
  • Low WSS was identified as a significant factor promoting atherosclerosis progression.

Conclusions:

  • Low vessel wall shear stress is a significant factor associated with increased atherosclerosis progression in coronary arteries.
  • Hemodynamic variations, specifically local WSS, may explain differential rates of atherosclerosis development.
  • These findings support the hypothesis that altered shear stress promotes atherosclerotic plaque formation.

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