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Review
. 2020;16(3):187-197.
doi: 10.2174/1573403X15666190730095153.

Biomechanical Forces and Atherosclerosis: From Mechanism to Diagnosis and Treatment

Vadim V Genkel  1 , Alla S Kuznetcova  2 , Igor I Shaposhnik  1
Affiliations
Review

Biomechanical Forces and Atherosclerosis: From Mechanism to Diagnosis and Treatment

Vadim V Genkel et al. Curr Cardiol Rev. 2020.

Abstract

The article provides an overview of current views on the role of biomechanical forces in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The importance of biomechanical forces in maintaining vascular homeostasis is considered. We provide descriptions of mechanosensing and mechanotransduction. The roles of wall shear stress and circumferential wall stress in the initiation, progression and destabilization of atherosclerotic plaque are described. The data on the possibilities of assessing biomechanical factors in clinical practice and the clinical significance of this approach are presented. The article concludes with a discussion on current therapeutic approaches based on the modulation of biomechanical forces.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; circumferential wall stress; mechanosensing; peripheral artery disease; plaque progression; wall shear stress.

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Figures

Fig. (1)
Fig. (1)
Circumferential wall stress and wall shear stress.
Fig. (2)
Fig. (2)
Changes in carotid WSR, depending on the severity of atherosclerotic lesions of peripheral arteries.
Fig. (3)
Fig. (3)
BioMimics 3DTM (source: http://www.medicalexpo.com). (A higher resolution / colour version of this figure is available in the electronic copy of the article).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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