BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF ARTERIAL STIFFENING WITH AGE AND ESTROGEN

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer in women. After menopause, women have a higher risk for heart disease possibly due to the loss of estrogen. One potential reason for this is that decreasing levels of estrogen have been shown to cause arteries surrounding the heart to stiffen . This stiffening of the arteries causes the heart to work harder and can lead to the development of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study is to find out how the loss of estrogen causes arteries to stiffen. One explanation that we will explore is the production of oxidative stress which are molecules that can damage cells and tissues in the body. Another explanation that we will explore is the loss of functioning of the arteries to dilate. We hope that these preliminary data will be able to help our understanding as to how the loss of estrogen as women go through menopause may contribute to the development of CVD.