A STOCHASTIC ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUE GROWTH MODEL

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease caused by an accumulation of fatty substances in the arterial wall. The fatty deposits, called plaques, narrow the arteries and can significantly reduce the amount of blood supplied to organs. Some researchers have developed computational models to simulate the formation of plaques in the arteries. The geometries of the plaques simulated in these models are typically smooth and symmetrical. However, in reality, most plaques are rough and asymmetrical. The poor representation of plaque geometry curtails the accuracy of computational models in determining the changes in hemodynamics and mass transport processes that influence the evolution of atherosclerosis. Therefore, this thesis aims to develop a method that incorporates stochastic plaque growth to create more realistic plaque geometries.

Plaque growth simulations under steady flow conditions in two-dimensional idealised arterial models were carried out to test the proposed method. The governing equations for the plaque growth simulations were solved using the immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method. Plaque formations in different arterial models were simulated, and the simulated plaque geometries resembled those observed in the literature. Hence, the proposed stochastic plaque growth method holds promise and may become a valuable tool when future developments address the limitations of the current work.