Researchers find unique protein organization in arteries associated with cardiovascular disease
Monday, January 9, 2012 - 13:30
in Health & Medicine
Human arteries some smaller than a strand of hair stiffen as a person ages. This stiffening is a factor in cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, because it contributes to the circulatory complications in disorders such as high blood pressure and diabetes. University of Missouri researchers have now used advanced 3-D microscopic imaging technology to identify and monitor the proteins involved in this stiffening process. These findings could eventually help researchers and physicians understand and treat complications associated with cardiovascular disease.