Shear Stress and Atherosclerosis

Shear Stress and Atherosclerosis

Hemodynamic shear stress, the frictional force acting on vascular endothelial cells, is crucial for endothelial homeostasis under normal physiological conditions. When discussing blood flow effects on various forms of endothelial (dys)function, one considers two flow patterns: steady laminar flow and disturbed flow because endothelial cells respond differently to these flow types both in vivo a...

Shear stress, arterial identity and atherosclerosis.

In the developing embryo, the vasculature first takes the form of a web-like network called the vascular plexus. Arterial and venous differentiation is subsequently guided by the specific expression of genes in the endothelial cells that provide spatial and temporal cues for development. Notch1/4, Notch ligand delta-like 4 (Dll4), and Notch downstream effectors are typically expressed in arteri...

Protective or destructive: High wall shear stress and atherosclerosis.

Hemodynamic shear stress and its role in atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis, the leading cause of death in the developed world and nearly the leading cause in the developing world, is associated with systemic risk factors including hypertension, smoking, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus, among others. Nonetheless, atherosclerosis remains a geometrically focal disease, preferentially affecting the outer edges of vessel bifurcations. In these predisp...

High wall shear stress proximal to myocardial bridging and atherosclerosis: intracoronary ultrasound and pressure measurements.

BACKGROUND Studies have shown that myocardial bridging may prevent coronary atherosclerosis and that the segment proximal to the bridge is often sclerosed. The underlying mechanism is still unknown. METHODS Intracoronary ultrasound and pressure measurements were performed in a patient with myocardial bridging in the left anterior descending coronary artery. A 3.5 F, 20 MHz probe was used to m...