“…5,12,15,22,25 Arterial changes over the course of life are also influenced by modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, obesity, smoking, and lifestyle, and also by unmodifiable factors, such as genetics, age, and family history. 15,16,21 It is known that aortic rigidity increases after 50 years of age even in healthy patients 7,26 and postmortem studies show that thickening of the aorta wall during aging occurs through increased tunica intima thickness, even in populations with low incidence of atherosclerosis. 7,8,10,15,17 Anatomically, these changes do not only manifest as increased diameter, but also as aortic elongation, and, from a physiological point of view, arterial thickening, which is related to pulse wave velocity, and has been shown to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events.…”