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

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.