Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of health problems and death in developed countries. Atherosclerosis is the most predominant form of vascular disease and consists in lipid accumulation in the wall of large- and medium-sized arteries. It is associated with systemic risk factors, but disturbed haemodynamics and complex vessel geometry play a localizing role in atherosclerotic plaque formation. The prevailing theory recognizes low and oscillatory wall shear stress (WSS) acting on the endothelial layer as indices of disturbed flow that promote atherosclerosis progression. Contradictory findings and an unsatisfying co-localization of low/oscillatory WSS with atherosclerotic lesions however encouraged the investigation of different WSS features that correlate with disease initiation and progression.