During normal vascular aging or in Eln+/– mice, which are both characterized by reduced elastin content and/or increased elastin breaks, increased arterial stiffness was accompanied by mild cardiac hypertrophy, hypertension, narrowing (Eln+/–) or widening (ageing) of the large conductance vessels and an age-dependent attenuation of endothelial vasorelaxant function. The gene discussed is ELN; the disease is cardiac hypertrophy.