Arterial calcification. Mechanisms, consequences and animal models.
The arterial extracellular matrix undergoes many profound age-related changes leading to an increase in wall stiffness. In this review the evidence suggesting that calcium--and more importantly "calcification" of elastin fibres--is involved in the age-related increase in arterial stiffness is examined.
Atkinson
J
J
Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Faculté de Pharmacie, UHP-Nancy, France.
D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000209:etiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans