The present invention relates to the new use of alpha-ketoglutarate, amides,and salts and mixtures thereof for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical preparationor a food or feed supplement for the in vivo therapeutic improvement of blood vesselelasticity, in particular arterial elasticity in a subject in need thereof.Improving the blood vessel elasticity may be used in the for the treatment and/orprophylaxis of hypertension, pulmonary arterial hypertension, cardiovasculardisease, retinal vascular disease, heart failure, atherosclerosis, ventricularhypertrophy, stroke, arterial aneurysm, kidney failure, nephrosclerosisand diseases related to hypertension.
