AT A STRETCH

JUST how stretchy is your body? This week: Blood vessels.

BLOOD vessels contain small amounts of elastin, so they can stretch and constrict, allowing the blood (which moves in pulses) to pass through.

Arteries lose elasticity with age, which is likely to be accelerated if you smoke or have diabetes. As a result, the blood isn’t pumped through properly, causing angina or leg pain.

Our biggest blood vessel is the aorta, which carries blood from the heart. When it loses elastin, it stretches too much and can burst — a deadly aortic aneurysm.

There are no warning symptoms, which is why men — who are eight times more likely to have an aortic aneurysm — are offered free screening over the age of 65.

If an aneurysm is detected, a stent (a tiny tube) can be fitted, which stops blood pushing against the weakened arterial wall.