A novel approach for the estimation of platelet activation risk has been developed at the National Research Center for Hematology by prof. Georgy Th. Guria group in collaboration with scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. It is well known that even a temporary increase in blood pressure may lead to life threatening thrombotic complications, for instance, heart attack or stroke. The critical value of systolic pressure is individual. It is determined by the characteristics of hemodynamics in a cardiovascular system.
Activated platelets play an important role in the process of intravascular thrombus formation. In the recent paper published in PLOS ONE journal authors have presented the results of a theoretical analysis of platelet activation in large arteries.
It has been found that platelets moving through stenotic regions of arterial vessels receive a certain activation impulse. Scientists have demonstrated that platelet activation should take place when cumulative shear stress exceeds a definite level. The threshold value of cumulative shear stress was shown to depend on several factors including key biochemical and hydrodynamic parameters. The value of cumulative shear stress in any particular vessel depends on systolic blood pressure. As a result of the developed approach, a novel possibility to estimate the critical value of blood pressure has been opened.
Taking into account the individual critical value of blood pressure, physicians can more effectively plan the strategy of antithrombotic therapy.
Authors are open for collaboration: guria@blood.ru
