Impact of medial calcification on arterial mechanics and haemodynamics

Medial arterial calcification (MAC) often occurs in ageing arteries, promoted by diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Advanced MAC represents a frequent cause of chronic limb-threatening ischaemia and limb amputation. Through a 1D haemodynamics simulation, we study how the mechanical properties of calcified arterial tissue and hydraulic resistance in the peripheral circulation jointly impact haemodynamics as MAC develops. We find that (i) there is a greater drop in systolic pressure across calcified arteries compared to healthy arteries, but this drop can be offset by greater peripheral resistance, provided left ventricular function is intact, (ii) both calcification and enhanced peripheral resistance lead to reduced flow rates, reduced peripheral perfusion and peripheral tissue hypoxaemia, and (iii) pressurized calcified arteries present lumen areas that are smaller than healthy arteries, even though they are larger when unpressurized. We also explore the effects of positive remodelling and elevated blood pressure. We find that a global luminal enlargement reduces the systolic and mean pressure drop across a calcified artery while increasing the mean outflow rate, thereby making a calcified artery behave more like a healthy one, hydrodynamically. Increasing the global pressure in a calcified artery further enhances the drop in systolic and mean pressure while increasing the mean outflow rate. Our simulations suggest that the increased impedance in calcified arteries results from smaller in vivo lumen areas. This can reduce the outflow rate, but the effect is complicated by arteriole closures, vessel geometry and global pressure. These findings confirm previously reported observations of flow reduction in calcified arteries. KEY POINTS: Medial arterial calcification (MAC) often occurs in ageing arteries, promoted by diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Patients with advanced calcification may develop limb-threatening ischaemia due to malperfusion. Through theoretical modelling and simulation, we find that calcified arteries experience a reduced flow rate because they present smaller lumen areas compared to healthy arteries. Systolic pressure decreases across calcified arteries, whereas in healthy arteries it usually increases. These findings have broad implications for localized detection of MAC.