Changes in the mechanical properties, biochemical contents and wall structure of the human coronary arteries with age and sex.

An experimental study of the mechanical properties, biochemical composition and structure was carried out on the proximal and distal parts of the right and the anterior descending branch of left human coronary arteries. The vessels were removed during an autopsy of 121 males and 84 females being 1 day to 80 years old. The material was divided into six age groups. Branchless segments of vessels 15-20 mm long were cut from proximal and distal parts. The mechanical properties of the coronary arteries were determined by passing fluid at pressures ranging from 0 to 240 mmHg. It was found that the part of the wall of the coronary artery adjacent to the myocardium is thicker in all cases than the other part of the arterial wall. With increasing age the mean thickness of the wall of both coronary arteries increases but the wall-thickening process is non-uniform in nature in both the proximal and distal parts and in the individual layers. The changes in the stretch ratio and tangential modulus in circumferential direction with age and sex were investigated. The greatest changes in the wall thickness and in the mechanical parameters were found for the left coronary artery wall in men over 40 years of age and for the right coronary artery wall in women over 50 years of age. The results of biochemical and densitometric investigations were compared.