Figure 3.

A comparison of a physiological vascular wall versus a pathological vessel as a consequence of aging per se or vascular age-associated diseases, as well as the reported roles of mediators in vascular aging per se and age-associated diseases like atherosclerosis. A brief schematic representation of the reported effects of the circulating mediators on different processes in atherosclerosis (vascular age-associated disorder) development is also presented. The mentioned effector molecules are merely examples, and it should be noted that many more exist.