[Biomorphosis of arteries]

The discrimination between normal aging and disease is very difficult, especially in the vascular system. The main factors, gene expression, physical forces, and environmental conditions are effective in normal and pathological circumstances. The changes in extracellular and cellular level are described. During aging, a fibrosis and a reduction of the cellular functions in the vascular wall are found. This deteriorates the blood streaming and favours pathological processes, e.g. atherosclerosis.