Pharmacological Activation of NO-Sensitive Guanylyl Cyclase Ameliorates Obesity-Induced Arterial Stiffness.

Objective: Arterial stiffness, or loss of elastic compliance in large arteries, is an independent precursor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and dementia . Akin to anti-hypertensive and lipid-lowering drugs, arterial de-stiffening therapies could be beneficial at decreasing CVD risk. We previously discovered that enhanced cytoskeletal actin polymerization in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to increased arterial stiffness .