Changes of the coronary arteries and cardiac microvasculature with aging: Implications for translational research and clinical practice

Publication date: Available online 21 October 2019Source: Mechanisms of Ageing and DevelopmentAuthor(s): Francesco Piccirillo, Myriam Carpenito, Giuseppe Verolino, Camilla Chello, Annunziata Nusca, Mario Lusini, Cristiano Spadaccio, Francesco Nappi, Germano Di Sciascio, Antonio NennaAbstractAging results in functional and structural changes in the cardiovascular system, translating into a progressive increase of mechanical vessel stiffness, due to a combination of changes in micro-RNA expression patterns, autophagy, arterial calcification, smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation. The two pivotal mechanisms of aging-related endothelial dysfunction are oxidative stress and inflammation, even in the absence of clinical disease. A comprehensive understanding of the aging process is emerging as a primary concern in literature, as vascular aging has recently become a target for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Change of life-style, diet, antioxidant regimens, anti-inflammatory treatments, senolytic drugs counteract the pro-aging pathways or target senescent cells modulating their detrimental effects. Such therapies aim to reduce the ineluctable burden of age and contrast aging-associated cardiovascular dysfunction. This narrative review intends to summarize the macrovascular and microvascular changes related with aging, as a better understanding of the pathways leading to arterial aging may contribute to design new mechanism-based therapeutic approaches to...
Source: Mechanisms of Ageing and Development - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research