Decreased Elastic Energy Storage, Not Increased Material Stiffness, Characterizes Central Artery Dysfunction in Fibulin-5 Deficiency Independent of Sex

Central artery stiffness has emerged over the past 15 years as a clinically significant indicator of cardiovascular function and initiator of disease. Loss of elastic fiber integrity is one of the primary contributors to increased arterial stiffening in aging, hypertension, and related conditions. Elastic fibers consist of an elastin core and multiple glycoproteins; hence defects in any of these constituents can adversely affect arterial wall...