Accumulation of calcium and phosphorus accompanied by increase of magnesium and decrease of sulfur in human arteries

To elucidate the accumulation of elements in the arteries with aging, the a uthors investigated age-related changes of elements in human arteries, such as the thoracic aorta, femoral, basilar coronary, radial, and common iliac arteries by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. The s ubjects consisted of 17 men and 9 women, ranging in age from 55 to 92 yr in the cases of the five arteries, except for the common iliac arteries, in w hich the subjects consisted of 16 men and 8 women, ranging in age from 65 t o 93 yr. It was found that there were significantly direct correlations between calc ium and phosphorus contents and between calcium and magnesium contents in a ll of the six arteries: thoracic aorta, femoral, basilar, coronary, radial, and common iliac arteries. Significantly direct correlations were also fou nd between phosphorus and magnesium contents in the five arteries, except f or the basilar artery. In contrast, significantly inverse correlations were found between calcium and sulfur contents and between phosphorus and sulfu r contents in the four arteries, except for the coronary and radial arterie s. These revealed that the accumulation of calcium and phosphorus in the ar teries was accompanied by an increase of magnesium in the arteries and by a decrease of sulfur in the arteries.