CASE STUDY: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding Blood Flow Impact on Coronary Artery Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, among which coronary artery disease is the deadliest, causing about 25% of total deaths. Coronary artery stenosis and occlusion is caused by plaque build up in the arteries supplying blood to heart muscle. Severe coronary artery disease is often treated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) where blood is redirected around blockages in the coronary arteries using a graft taken from another part of the body. CABG is performed roughly 400,000 times a year in the United States alone. Another non-surgical treatment option is percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), where a balloon catheter is inserted into the coronary lesion and inflated to open up the artery. PCI is performed roughly 500,000 times per year. Understanding coronary blood flow may lead  to better understanding of coronary artery disease progression and in  determining optimal therapeutic options for individual patients.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, among which coronary artery disease is the deadliest, causing about 25% of total deaths. Coronary artery stenosis and occlusion is caused by plaque build up in the arteries supplying blood to heart muscle. Severe coronary artery disease is often treated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) where blood is redirected around blockages in the coronary arteries using a graft taken from another part of the body. CABG is performed roughly 400,000 times a year in the United States alone. Another non-surgical treatment option is percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), where a balloon catheter is inserted into the coronary lesion and inflated to open up the artery. PCI is performed roughly 500,000 times per year. Understanding coronary blood flow may lead  to better understanding of coronary artery disease progression and in  determining optimal therapeutic options for individual patients.

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