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Vascular Aging

  • Chapter
Biology of the Arterial Wall

Part of the book series: Basic Science for the Cardiologist ((BASC,volume 1))

Abstract

Aging is responsible for important changes in vascular structure and function which in turn affect the function of the heart and of other organs. Aging is associated with large artery remodeling, characterized by a progressive increase in stiffness and changes in the function of the endothelium and of smooth muscle cells (SMC). The effects of aging on the arterial system should be differentiated from that of atherosclerosis. Even though atherosclerosis is highly prevalent among aged individuals, the two processes are distinct in many ways. Aging, a physiological process which affects the entire vascular system, starts after sexual maturation and leads to enlargement of the arterial lumen, whereas atherosclerosis is a disease that affects limited areas of arteries, which usually starts in infancy or in adolescence and tends to narrow the lumen. During the last decades, research advances in vascular biology have provided a better understanding of the process of vascular aging.

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  1. Department of Gerontology, René-Bigotini hospital, Sevran, France

    Joël Belmin

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  1. Lariboisiére hospital, INSERM U141, Paris, France

    Bernard I. Levy  & Alain Tedgui  & 

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Belmin, J. (1999). Vascular Aging. In: Levy, B.I., Tedgui, A. (eds) Biology of the Arterial Wall. Basic Science for the Cardiologist, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-38146-6_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-38146-6_8

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