Etiology and mechanisms of age-related arterial stiffening

Publication date: Available online 8 December 2016 Source:Reviews in Vascular Medicine Author(s): Nabil E. Boutagy, Timothy J. Werner Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.) and its prevalence increases with advancing age1, 2. It is estimated that 83.6 million people in the U.S. have CVD2. As such, there is a high economic cost ($414 billion) associated with this disease1. In the past decade, large-scale epidemiological studies have identified a key role of large artery stiffening in the etiology CVD3-5. Stiffening of the large elastic arteries, in particular the aorta, is central to the aging process and is associated with end organ damage6, CVD risk factors, and atherosclerotic disease7-10. The measure of aortic stiffening can be used as a powerful biomarker of CVD risk and has the ability to independently predict fatal and non-fatal coronary events3, 11. Therefore, an underlying knowledge of the mechanisms of age-related stiffness is necessary for the optimal medical management and the development of novel therapeutics. The purpose of this review is to provide an up to date summary of the etiology and mechanisms of age-related arterial stiffening.
Source: Reviews in Vascular Medicine - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research