Overview
- Findings published in Acta Biomaterialia show elevated blood homocysteine made the aorta stiffer and less elastic in an animal model of atherosclerosis.
- Researchers from TU Graz, the University of Graz and the Medical University of Graz conducted the experiments in rabbits to assess mechanical changes in the aorta.
- Homocysteine arises during methionine metabolism, accumulation is seen more often in older people, and high-fat diet or inactivity may increase levels.
- The authors say the results highlight a non-cholesterol pathway in vascular disease and call for follow-up studies to evaluate relevance in humans.
- The study cites funding from the Austrian Science Fund and BioTechMed-Graz, with background noting cardiovascular disease leads global mortality and exceeds 40% of deaths in Europe.