Shear stress and the vessel wall : in vivo studies applying 3-D finite element modelling

Atherosclerosis, a degenerative arterial disease, is a leading cause of death in the western society. It cau cause dysfunction of the heart, stroke or peripheral vascular disease by limiting the blood supply to the heart, the brain, the abdominal organs and the legs. The narrowing of those arteries originates from the build up of 'afherosclerotic' plaques in the arterial wall. Such plaques are the result of accumulating lipids and accompanying reactive processes into the vessel wall. Several risk factors are known to induce and innuence the progression of this disease like hypercholesterem