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Vascular ageing

  • Chapter
The Pathology of Vessels

Abstract

Changes in the morphology and composition of the vascular system start before birth, continue through childhood, and are maintained into old age. The critical developmental period of the blood vessels falls between the 5th and 16th weeks of intrauterine life. In this period, the basic wall structure characteristic of the particular vessel type (i. e. the elastic and muscular arteries, large veins, limb veins, and lymphatics) is formed [1]. The ageing process is associated with predictable anatomic and physiologic alterations in the cardiovascular system [2–4]. It is important to separate the alterations in structure and function that occur during growth from those that occur in adult life, some of which may be associated with disease. Arteries continue to increase in diameter, length and wall thickness in adulthood [5], when the dimensions of the body as a whole change little. Despite assertions to the contrary, occlusive vascular disease is not ubiquitous and should, therefore, be distinguished from the universal alterations in structure, composition and mechanical properties that occur in all of us In early life elastic arteries, large muscular arteries and conduit veins increase in length, diameter and wall thickness allometrically. The dimensions of arterioles and venules as well as capillaries are determined by the rheological properties of blood and the chemistry of haemoglobin [6] and do not change with age.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité d’anatomie et de Cytologie Pathologiques, Hôpital Saint-Michel, 33, rue Olivier-de-Serres, 75015, Paris, France

    Phat N. Vuong MD, PhD, DHDR

  2. Department of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology, St. Bartholomew’s and the Royal London School of Medecine and Dentistry, E1 1BB, Whitechapel, London, UK

    Sir Colin Berry DSc, MD, PhD, FRCPath, FRCP, FFPM

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  1. Phat N. Vuong MD, PhD, DHDR
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  2. Sir Colin Berry DSc, MD, PhD, FRCPath, FRCP, FFPM
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© 2002 Springer-Verlag France

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Vuong, P.N., Berry, C. (2002). Vascular ageing. In: The Pathology of Vessels. Springer, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-2-8178-0786-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-2-8178-0786-7_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Paris

  • Print ISBN: 978-2-8178-0788-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-2-8178-0786-7

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