[Aging of the intima of the human thoracic aorta]

The aging of the intima of the human thoracic aorta was studied on autopsy material collected from individuals aged from 1 day to 99 years. It has been established that the density of the cell population and the thickness of the intima and the content of cholesterol and phospholipids in it are signs of intima aging. There is an exponential relation between these signs and the age of an individual. The level of cholesterol concentration in the intima depends on its thickness.