Impact of non-Newtonian blood flow properties on cardiovascular health: Simulation study

Abstract

Blood flow in the human circulatory system is a complex process that can be influenced by the rheological properties of blood. Traditional fluid dynamics models often assume blood behaves as a Newtonian fluid, but recent studies suggest that blood exhibits non-Newtonian characteristics, such as shear-thinning and viscoelasticity, which can significantly affect cardiovascular health. This study investigates the impact of non-Newtonian blood properties on blood flow dynamics and cardiovascular health using MATLAB-based simulations. By modeling blood flow as a non-Newtonian fluid in various arterial geometries, we explore how these properties influence hemodynamic parameters, including shear stress, pressure gradients and wall shear stress. The results show that non-Newtonian properties of blood can have substantial effects on the behavior of blood flow and may contribute to conditions like atherosclerosis and hypertension. This study highlights the importance of considering blood’s non-Newtonian behavior in cardiovascular simulations for better health predictions and clinical applications.