Key result
This review summarizes current imaging, computational haemodynamics, and anatomical analysis methods highlighting the challenges and opportunities for understanding coronary artery disease progression rather than presenting primary clinical trial results.
Why the study?
Improving coronary artery disease prevention and treatment strategies is limited by incomplete understanding of disease formation and progression mechanisms shaped by coronary anatomy and local haemodynamics.
Integrating advanced imaging technologies with computational haemodynamic analysis of patient-specific coronary anatomy offers a promising approach to refine and personalize CAD risk assessments.
May refine personalized CAD risk assessment clinically; extends computational haemodynamics research on disease progression.
Despite tremendous advances in cardiovascular medicine, significant opportunities remain to improve coronary artery disease (CAD) prevention and treatment strategies. The key limitation lies in the understanding of disease formation and progression mechanisms. The coronary anatomy plays an important role in local haemodynamics, governing endothelial health and, thus, pathophysiological responses. The significant variation of the coronary anatomy among patients, with significant trends across different populations, increases the complexity of understanding the details of disease progression. This review covers different aspects of the current status and understanding of the blood flow investigation in coronary arteries. We summarised the current knowledge of the haemodynamic effect of coronary anatomy and its evaluation and analysis methods. We discussed recent progress across medical imaging techniques and computational haemodynamic analysis. Based on the reviewed papers, we identified the persisting knowledge gaps and challenges in the field. We then elaborated on future directions and opportunities to increase understanding of the fundamental mechanism of CAD in individuals representative of large populations and how this may translate to the patient’s bedside.
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Shen et al. (2026) conducted a review in Patients with coronary artery disease assessed for arterial geometry and blood flow haemodynamics using imaging and computational methods. This review summarizes current imaging, computational haemodynamics, and anatomical analysis methods highlighting the challenges and opportunities for understanding coronary artery disease progression rather than presenting primary clinical trial results.
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