Nigerian Develops Heart Disease Treatment Models

A United States-based Nigerian mathematician, Damilare Samuel, has called for the wider adoption of advanced mathematical modelling of blood flow to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

He described the approach as a critical tool for tackling one of the world’s leading causes of death.

Samuel, who holds a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from Case Western Reserve University, United States, said his research focused on developing mathematical models that more accurately explain how blood flows through diseased arteries, with potential applications in predicting and managing conditions such as atherosclerosis and aneurysms.

Speaking with our correspondent on Saturday, Samuel said conventional blood-flow models often fail to capture the complex behaviour of blood in diseased arteries, limiting their effectiveness in clinical decision-making.

“Blood doesn’t behave like water. It’s a complex fluid, and the older models we’ve relied on for decades miss a lot of what’s actually happening inside diseased arteries,” he said.

Samuel explained that his research applies non-Newtonian fluid modelling to study atherosclerosis by developing nonlinear systems of differential equations that account for factors including magnetohydrodynamics, Joule heating, thermal radiation and chemically reactive transport.

“These aren’t abstract equations for their own sake. Every parameter we add—thermal effects, chemical reactions and magnetic fields—brings the model closer to what’s actually happening in a patient’s bloodstream, particularly around wall shear stress and flow separation, which are key indicators of where arterial plaque is likely to form,” he said.

According to him, the improved modelling could assist clinicians, biomedical engineers and researchers in developing more accurate diagnostic tools and treatment strategies.

He added that his research also examines chemically reactive transport in blood flow, with possible applications in targeted drug delivery, while another aspect focuses on aneurysm haemodynamics to improve predictions of aneurysm rupture.

“With aneurysms, the stakes are enormous. Non-Newtonian models give us a far more realistic picture of what’s happening in that vessel than the Newtonian assumptions clinicians have historically had to rely on.

“Millions of people live with unruptured aneurysms, and thousands of ruptures occur every year with high mortality rates, so improving predictive modelling in this area matters immensely,” he said.

Samuel noted that cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for an estimated 697,000 deaths annually in the United States, while its economic burden is projected to reach $1.1tn by 2035.

He said more accurate mathematical models could support the development of improved medical devices, diagnostic technologies and drug-delivery systems.

“The value of this work isn’t tied to any one employer. Better models for how blood moves through diseased arteries can inform medical device design, drug delivery systems and diagnostic tools. The applications ripple outward. That’s the kind of contribution I want to make in the U.S. research ecosystem,” he said.

Samuel said his research has attracted collaborations with academics from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Modibbo Adama University and Binghamton University, State University of New York, highlighting the growing interdisciplinary nature of mathematical and biomedical research.