Modeling LDL accumulation within an arterial wall

Cardiovascular diseases are known to be the leading cause of death globally. They include different diseases such as coronary arterial diseases, strokes, and so on. The entire class of disease is related to the atherosclerotic plaque growth that in turn is linked to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) deposition within the arterial walls. Due to the small length scales and the physiological challenges associated with direct observation of the arterial wall, predictive models of LDL deposition are an attractive alternative to experiment with. In this chapter, such mathematical models are discussed; these can be categorized as wall-free models, single-layer models, and multilayer models. After an overview of the first two classes of models, emphasis is given to multilayer models, with references to the governing equations and closure coefficients. Therefore, results presented through the years on different idealized arterial geometrical models, patient-specific models, and also results referred to various physical phenomena, such as fluid–structure interaction, hyperthermia, or rheology effects, are shown to underline the importance of multilayer modeling leading to the important results that have been achieved by the scientific community over the past decade and a half.