14
August
2018
|
21:39
Asia/Singapore

NUS study finds key to artery health

A five-year study by a team of researchers from NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine found that a population of cells that coat the outer walls of healthy arteries, called macrophages, can protect our arteries from becoming rigid and stiff. Macrophages produce a protein called LYVE-1 that reduces the production of collagen around the blood vessels that cause arteries to stiffen. The discovery is significant as the hardening of arteries leads to the increase of the blood pressure and raises the risk of cardiovascular diseases.