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Intimal Hyperplasia

Meaning

Intimal Hyperplasia is a pathological process characterized by the abnormal proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells from the media layer into the intima, the innermost layer of a blood vessel wall. This cellular overgrowth leads to progressive thickening of the vessel wall and narrowing of the arterial lumen, fundamentally restricting blood flow. In the hormonal context, sex hormones and growth factors are known to modulate this process, which is a key contributor to restenosis following vascular interventions and the progression of atherosclerosis.