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Nutrition & Metabolism is a British peer-reviewed scientific journal which (according to their website)
"...publishes content focused on the integration of nutrition, exercise physiology, clinical investigations, and molecular and cellular biochemistry of metabolism." The September 19, 2011 issue of Nutrition & Metabolism includes an study that analyzed the thickness and integrity of the carotid artery in 171 vegetarian males and compared them to the carotid arteries of 129 meat eating age-related males (the control group). The researchers also factored in the length of time that their vegetarian subjects ate a plant based diet.
Tests measuring the thickness of arterial walls have been used to determine and predict future cardiovascular risk. The researchers concluded that vegetarians experience:
"A decrease in multiple cardiovascular risk factors such as a decrease in body mass index, blood pressure and lipid profile was associated with vegetarian diet. Moreover, taking a low-calorie, low-protein, or vegetarian diet might have great beneficial effects on arterial wall thickness through improved lipid profile, and the beneficial effects appeared to be correlated with the duration of vegetarian diet."