The effects of blood viscoelasticity on the pulse wave in arteries

Based on Womersley's theory, the frequency equation satisfied by a complex wave velocity of a pulse wave in arteries was generalized to viscoelastic blood, a general formula of the complex wave velocity with regard to both linearly viscoelastic arteries and linearly viscolelastic blood was obtained, and the effects of the viscoelastic property of blood on the phase velocity and the wave attenuation of the pulse wave using the formula systematically was discussed. It is concluded that the influence of the blood elasticity on the wave propagation of a pulse wave in arteries is weaker than that of the arterial viscosity and may be neglected in larger arteries.