Simulation models exercise, age effects on plaque formation in arteries: Exercise for different age groups is examined by digitizing flow rates in the carotid artery that carries blood to the head and neck. - Science Daily
Plaque formation in the arteries carrying blood to the head and neck is a serious medical problem, potentially leading to strokes and heart attacks. In Physics of Fluids , by AIP Publishing, engineers from China use fluid dynamics simulations to study the effect of exercise at various ages on plaque formation. It has been known for years that exercise and age affect the formation of plaques through a process known as atherosclerosis. What has not been fully understood, however, is how the geometrical features of the arteries affect plaque formation, although a dilated region in the inner carotid branch, the sinus, appears to be a vulnerable site. "It is commonly accepted that the disturbed flow induces atherosclerosis," said author Xiaolei Yang. To study this, the authors considered two arterial geometries, one with a bulging outer artery and the other without, and modeled the effect of exercise and age on blood flow through the two model arteries. Two main arteries c