Biomechanical impact of hyperlipidemia on blood flow and vascular pressure: A computational and in vivo analysis
Abstract
Hyperlipidemia is a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases, impacting vascular function by altering hemodynamic parameters such as blood flow velocity and vascular pressure. This study investigated these effects using Doppler ultrasound, vascular pressure sensors, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling in a cohort of 100 participants, divided into 50 hyperlipidemic individuals (total cholesterol: 250.4 ± 15.2 mg/dL, triglycerides: 180.3 ± 20.5 mg/dL, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: 170.1 ± 10.3 mg/dL) and 50 controls (total cholesterol: 190.7 ± 10.4 mg/dL, triglycerides: 130.2 ± 15.7 mg/dL, LDL cholesterol: 120.5 ± 9.8 mg/dL). Future research could explore the differential effects of LDL and HDL on blood flow velocity and vascular pressure, as LDL is known to increase blood viscosity and contribute to endothelial dysfunction, while HDL may have a protective effect by improving endothelial function and reducing vascular resistance. Results showed a significant reduction in blood flow velocity in the hyperlipidemic group (28.1 ± 3.1 cm/s) compared to controls (32.5 ± 2.3 cm/s, p < 0.001) and an increase in vascular pressure (98.6 ± 5.4 mmHg vs. 85.2 ± 4.1 mmHg, p < 0.001). CFD analysis revealed increased turbulence and shear stress variability, contributing to endothelial dysfunction and vascular resistance. Statistical correlations indicated a strong negative association between LDL cholesterol and blood flow velocity (r = −0.624, p < 0.001) and a positive association between total cholesterol and vascular pressure (r = 0.583, p < 0.001). These findings highlight the biomechanical consequences of hyperlipidemia, emphasizing the need for early intervention through lipid-lowering therapies and lifestyle modifications to improve vascular health. The integration of CFD modeling into clinical practice may enhance risk assessment and personalized treatment strategies for hyperlipidemic individuals.
References
1. Song. Chapter 1. State of the art [Internet]. 2023. Available online: https://pastel.hal.science/tel-03407901v1 (accessed on 2 December 2024).
2. Gimbrone MA, García-Cardeña G. Vascular endothelium, hemodynamics, and the pathobiology of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis. Available online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054880712000762 (accessed on 2 December 2024).
3. Boutouyrie P, Chowienczyk P, Humphrey JD, et al. Arterial Stiffness and Cardiovascular Risk in Hypertension. Circulation Research. 2021; 128(7): 864-886. doi: 10.1161/circresaha.121.318061
4. Gimbrone MA, Topper JN, Nagel T, et al. Endothelial Dysfunction, Hemodynamic Forces, and Atherogenesisa. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2000; 902(1): 230-240. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb06318.x
5. Verhaar MC, Honing MLH, van Dam T. Nifedipine improves endothelial function in hypercholesterolemia, independently of an effect on blood pressure or plasma lipids. Cardiovasc Res. 1999; 42(3):752-758. doi: 10.1016/S0008-6363(98)00341-1
6. Duvernoy CS, Meyer C, Seifert-Klauss V. Gender differences in myocardial blood flow dynamics: lipid profile and hemodynamic effects. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1999; 33(6):1636-1642. doi: 10.1016/S0735-1097(98)00575-0
7. Bovino M, Rosaa M, Ballettab M, Bellinghierid G. Effects of Hypercholesterolemia on Renal Hemodynamics: Study in Patients with Nephrotic Syndrome. Nephron. 1996; 73(3): 430-435. doi: 10.1159/000189106
8. Reimann M, Rüdiger H, Weiss N, Ziemssen T. Acute hyperlipidemia but not hyperhomocysteinemia impairs reflex regulation of the cardiovascular system. Atheroscler Suppl; 2015.
9. Huggins GS, Pasternak RC, Alpert NM, Fischman AJ. Effects of short-term treatment of hyperlipidemia on coronary vasodilator function and myocardial perfusion in regions having substantial impairment of baseline dilator reserves. Circulation. 1998; 98(13):1291-1298. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.98.13.1291
10. Kuwahara M, Hirose H, Doi K. Effect of hyperlipidemia on cardiovascular responses to adrenergic stimulation in piglets. J Vet Med Sci. 1992; 54(4): 637-646. doi: 10.1292/jvms.54.637
11. Yao YS, Li TD, Zeng ZH. Mechanisms underlying direct actions of hyperlipidemia on myocardium: an updated review. Lipids Health Dis. 2020; 19(1): 133. doi: 10.1186/s12944-019-1171-8
12. Rim SJ, Leong-Poi H, Lindner JR, et al. Decrease in coronary blood flow reserve during hyperlipidemia is secondary to an increase in blood viscosity. Circulation. 2001; 104(22):2691-2697. doi: 10.1161/hc4701.099580
13. Ayata C, Shin HK, Dileköz E. Hyperlipidemia disrupts cerebrovascular reflexes and worsens ischemic perfusion defect. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. 2013; 33(5):671-682. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2013.38
14. Bala P, Singh P. Application of CFD in the Biomedical Field: A Review of Recent Developments. J Med Biol Eng. 2019.
15. Wilson C, Fedosov DA, Caroni P. Data-driven approaches to hemodynamic modeling: Trends and perspectives. J Comput Phys. 2020.
16. Brown AJ, Wentzel JJ, Teng Z, Collins P. The role of shear stress, arterial wall structure, and blood circulation dynamics in atherosclerosis development in hyperlipidemic conditions. Cardiovasc Eng Technol; 2021.
17. Du Z, Wang S, Yang O, et al. Machine-learning-based prediction of cardiovascular events for hyperlipidemia population with lipid variability and remnant cholesterol as biomarkers. Health Information Science and Systems. 2024; 12(1). doi: 10.1007/s13755-024-00310-w
Copyright (c) 2025 Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright on all articles published in this journal is retained by the author(s), while the author(s) grant the publisher as the original publisher to publish the article.
Articles published in this journal are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, which means they can be shared, adapted and distributed provided that the original published version is cited.
Submit a Paper
