Stress and disease: the missing link. A vasospastic theory. II. The nature of degenerative arterial disease.

An analysis of the evidence indicates that the initiation and progress of atherosclerosis might well be explained by repeated bouts of arterial constriction in relation to life stresses, through increased blood flow velocity and turbulence at points of constriction, and consequent endothelial damage, plasma insudation into the wall, and intimal smooth muscle cell - connective tissue proliferation.