A STUDY OF ARTERIAL VASODILATION AS A MEANS OF MODULATING WALL SHEAR STRESS

摘要

Diseases of the heart continue to be the number 1 killer of Americans. In 2001, cardiovascular disease and stroke cost the United States an estimated $298.2 billion [American Heart Association]. Heart disease and related vascular disorders remain focus areas during this decade for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as reported in Healthy People 2010. This article reports on an initial study of the potential role of vasodilation as a means of modulating arterial wall shear stress (WSS). Excessive WSS is believed to be a contributing athero-genic factor and has been hypothesized to induce disturbed flow that damages the endothelium of the artery allowing cholesterol and/or lipid substances to attach and form plaque. Drug therapies are used by physicians to vasodilate arteries of patients with risks for atherosclerosis. This study will research the potential mechanical effects of optimizing arterial vasodilation on WSS.