Hemodynamics and Fluid Dynamics in Vascular Systems

Hemodynamics explores the principles governing blood flow within the circulatory system, while fluid dynamics provides the mathematical and computational frameworks to describe these flows. Central concepts include the nature of laminar and turbulent flow, the distribution of wall shear stress along vessel walls, and the interplay between blood pressure, vessel geometry and vessel wall mechanics. Advances in imaging and computational power have enabled detailed reconstructions of arterial networks and real-time simulations of pulsatile flow. Fluid–structure interaction models now capture how vessel compliance and wall deformation feed back onto flow patterns. Together, these tools illuminate mechanisms underpinning atherosclerosis, hypertension, aneurysm formation and graft failure. In turn, insights into shear-driven cell signalling and energy dissipation guide the design of stents, bypass grafts and personalised diagnostic protocols. The field continues to expand through integration of patient-specific data, machine-learning algorithms and multi-scale modelling, underpinning global efforts to predict, prevent and treat vascular disease.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent theoretical and experimental work has challenged the long-held view that physiological blood flow is strictly laminar. By applying chaos theory and hydrodynamic stability analysis to in vivo waveforms, investigators have demonstrated that arterial flow can exhibit sensitivity to initial conditions, non-Kolmogorov energy cascades and global hydrodynamic instability. These findings prompt a re-evaluation of how turbulence influences endothelial function and vascular remodelling. Complementing this, studies in hypertensive animal models have shown that even when blood pressure is pharmacologically normalised, indices of disturbed flow—specifically oscillatory shear index and relative residence time—remain elevated and correlate with thickening of the aortic wall. This work highlights the persistent impact of abnormal flow patterns on vessel structure and suggests that pressure control alone may not restore healthy haemodynamics.

Hemodynamics and Fluid Dynamics in Vascular Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in hemodynamics and fluid dynamics in vascular systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Wall shear stress (WSS): The tangential force per unit area exerted by flowing blood on the vessel wall.

Oscillatory shear index (OSI): A measure of directional changes in wall shear stress during the cardiac cycle.

Relative residence time (RRT): An index reflecting the duration that blood elements remain near the vessel wall, linked to mass transport.

Reynolds number: A dimensionless parameter indicating the balance between inertial and viscous forces in a flow.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD): Numerical methods and algorithms used to simulate fluid flow and related phenomena.

Fluid–structure interaction (FSI): Coupled modelling of fluid flow and the mechanical response of deformable structures such as vessel walls.

References

1. Physiologic blood flow is turbulent. Scientific Reports (2020).
2. Vascular Remodelling Relates to an Elevated Oscillatory Shear Index and Relative Residence Time in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Scientific Reports (2017).
3. Spatiotemporal analysis of the effects of exercise on the hemodynamics of the aorta in hypertensive rats using fluid-structure interaction simulation. Journal of Translational Internal Medicine (2024).
4. Application of Patient-Specific Computational Fluid Dynamics in Coronary and Intra-Cardiac Flow Simulations: Challenges and Opportunities. Frontiers in Physiology (2018).