Arteries can become thicker due to high blood pressure. However, the cause of this thickening is unclear. TU/e researchers along with colleagues from Trinity College Dublin in Ireland have developed a new computer model to study the arterial thickening in detail. The model shows that both mechanical changes in the artery due to higher blood pressure and cell communication involving so-called vascular smooth muscle cells could be critical for arterial thickening. The same model could be used to guide future approaches to therapeutic and regenerative treatments.