- ARTERY DECLINE: CHEMICAL CORROSION, NOT THE CLOGGING OF A DRAIN PIPE -
Over simplified best theory. Artery walls are a muscle layer sandwiched between 2 structural layers. Lack of B-vitamins causes excess homo-cysteine that dumps its sulfur onto the 'cartilage' of the inside layer (the proteo-glycans of the intima), unravels collagen 'cables' and 'crumbles' rubbery elastin. This 'excess sulfation' helps trap LDL's cholesterol, and then calcium, as in stage 4 lesions shown below and where finally the muscle layer, the media, is infiltrated. Elastin-network 'crumbling' in the media frees muscle cells that move and destroy artery architecture. Crumbled elastin 'loves to' accumulate cholesterol and calcium. Homo-cysteine degrades the shape and thus function giving cysteine sulfur bonds in your life-long proteins*. It also promotes clotting and inflammation (Il-8). B-vitamins with vitamin C, copper and zinc prevent such damage and repair some of it. Incidentally, excess sugar (glyoxal) in diabetes damages elastin and collagen in a very similar manner. [homo-cysteine + response-to-LDL-retention theories: CVD as a 'sulfur disease'. *) Analogy: liquid latex is vulcanized into the shape of a tire by sulfur bonds; homo-cysteine degrades such sulfur bonds in our permanent structural proteins.]
'Marinate' an artery for 5 days in hot acid and only elastic tissue is left! Homo-cysteine has special
ways of slowly degrading and 'unraveling' this fiber reinforced elastomer architecture. Not good.
