Stiffening arteries could change cell behavior
Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 17:44
in Health & Medicine
(PhysOrg.com) -- Like skin that loses elasticity, blood vessels lose their pliability and stiffen with age. In more than half of the U.S. population over 65, this stiffening of the blood vessels is accompanied by a buildup of plaque inside arterial walls -- atherosclerosis -- which can lead to blood vessel obstruction, increased stress on the heart and the risk of a heart attack.
