The Course of Arterial Intimal Fibroplasia in Aging Arteries

Abstract

Arterial intimai fibroplasia, measured by nonatheromatous intimai thickness, increases with age in keeping with a simple formula. The formula applies well to a broad variety of arterial segments and demographic groups of subjects. For each arterial segment, a single variable parameter governs population differences in rates of aging changes. The SMC behavior that propels the aging effect is unknown, but may be a narrow spectrum acting solely upon the formation of collagenous matrix.