The Study of Age Related Changes in Coronary Arteries and its Relevance to the Atherosclerosis

Abstract

The study of coronary artery disease has always been a topic of special interest to the physicians. Several studies have been focused on coronary arteries but limited have been addressed to the histological changes in coronary arteries with increase in age leading to the development of atherosclerosis. The histomorphometric study was carried on coronaries of autopsied heart specimens from 50 males and 30 females between the age group of 10–60 years. The thickness of tunica intima, tunica media and tunica adventia and diameter of coronary arteries were measured using ocular micrometer. Verhoeffs stained sections were used to study changes in internal elastic lamina. With increase in age there was increase in thickness of tunica intima up to 4th decade through the growth of sub endothelial tissue from the undifferentiated smooth muscle cells of the media. The thickness of tunica media was observed to increase up to 4th decade due to medial fibrosis. After 4th decade thickness of both tunica intima and tunica media registered a gradual fall. The increase in tunica intima was found to be the basic pathological change which ultimately progress to atherosclerosis. Intimal thickness was found to be more in males as compared to females. Internal elastic lamina showed splitting, fraying, fragmentation and reduplication in various age groups.