Self-corrected Hemodynamic Analysis of Blood Viscosity for Detection of Endothelial Injury in Atherosclerosis using MRI

Atherosclerosis (AS) represents the leading cause of cardiovascular and cerebral-vascular diseases worldwide and atherosclerotic plaque growth and vulnerability are closely associated with hemodynamic abnormalities. Wall shear stress (WSS), an important hemodynamic indicator in AS plaque formation, is directly related to blood viscosity and wall shear rate (WSR). However, due to the lack of non-invasive in vivo methods for measuring blood viscosity, previous studies normally focused on WSR or WSS estimated with the empirical value of blood viscosity, and how WSS is affected by blood viscosity alteration remains unknown. Herein, a novel method for estimating blood viscosity using blood flow and physiological parameters, called the Personalized Blood Viscosity Model (PBVM), is reported. Its robustness is confirmed in phantom and cross-species experiments. In cross-species experiments, PBVM-corrected WSS results are in good agreement with H&E staining findings and may be able to detect early abnormalities in low WSS regions. Our findings demonstrate that blood viscosity effect caused by disease such as hyperlipidemia is not neglectable during hemodynamic analysis and should be considered in WSS quantification. The PBVM method may hold the potential to advance the development of more accurate and personalized AS assessment tools, thereby paving the way for advancements in personalized medicine, early risk stratification, and ultimately, improved patient outcomes.