Getting older may offer blood vessels protection from oxidative stress, which is thought to play a critical role in several diseases, including hypertension and cancer.
“Molecules known as reactive oxygen species, or ROS, play an important role in regulating cellular function,” says Steven Segal, a professor of medical pharmacology and physiology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and senior author of the study. “However, the overproduction of ROS can help create a condition referred to as oxidative stress, which can alter the function of cells and interfere with their growth and reproduction.”
