Hardening of the arteries – atherosclerosis – is a common disorder which occurs when fat, cholesterol and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard substances called plaque.

A discovery by Dr Graciela Sala-Newby and colleagues at the Bristol Heart Institute could lead to new ways of treating this condition which is responsible for almost half of all deaths in Europe.

The discovery was presented by Dr Sala-Newby during the opening lecture of the Third European Vascular Genomics Network Congress in Toulouse this week.

For an article on Dr Sala-Newby's work, visit Research News.