Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
10:21
Scanning Electron Microscopy of Macerated Tissue to Visualize the Extracellular Matrix
Published on: June 14, 2016
Aging as a substrate of heart failure
Tetsuo Shioi1, Yasutaka Inuzuka
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. tshioi@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Journal of Cardiology
|October 17, 2012
Summary
Aging heart failure mechanisms involve insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 signaling and extra-cardiac organ function decline. Understanding these pathways is key to addressing age-related cardiac dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gerontology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Heart failure is a common condition associated with aging.
- The precise mechanisms linking aging to declining heart function and increased heart failure risk remain unclear.
- Aging involves complex molecular and physiological changes that impact cardiac health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the key mechanisms underlying age-associated cardiac dysfunction and heart failure.
- To investigate the role of insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 signaling in cardiac aging.
- To explore the contribution of extra-cardiac organ function decline to heart failure in the elderly.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent advances in basic science related to aging mechanisms.
- Analysis of the impact of insulin/IGF-1 signaling on cardiac aging and protein homeostasis.
- Examination of the relationship between extra-cardiac organ function and heart failure in aging populations.
Main Results:
- Suppression of insulin/IGF-1 signaling appears to prevent cardiac aging by improving protein homeostasis.
- Insulin/IGF-1 signaling exhibits pleiotropic effects in heart disease, with both protective and sensitizing roles.
- Reduced function of organs outside the heart is a significant factor contributing to increased heart failure with age.
Conclusions:
- Insulin/IGF-1 signaling and declining extra-cardiac organ function are critical mechanisms in age-related heart failure.
- Targeting these pathways may offer therapeutic strategies for preventing or treating heart failure in older adults.
- Heart failure is a systemic disease, necessitating a multi-organ perspective in aging research.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Pathophysiology of Heart Failure
Heart failure (HF) is a progressive syndrome involving ventricles that leads to inadequate cardiac output. It can be classified based on location and output or ejection fraction. Ejection fraction (EF) is an essential measurement in the diagnosis and surveillance of HF. Reduced EF corresponds to systolic heart failure (HFrEF). However, HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is becoming increasingly prevalent. Also known as diastolic HF, this form of HF is related to aging. The...
01:27Heart Failure I: Introduction
Heart failure refers to a clinical syndrome caused by structural or functional cardiac disorders that prevent the heart from pumping an adequate amount of blood to meet the body's metabolic needs. This condition often arises from myocardial infarction or ischemia, leading to decreased cardiac output, reduced tissue perfusion, impaired gas exchange, fluid volume imbalance, and decreased functional ability.Heart failure can result from disruptions in the mechanisms that regulate cardiac output...
01:29Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology
Systolic Heart Failure and Compensatory MechanismsSystolic heart failure (also termed HFrEF, Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction) is the most prevalent type of heart filure. It results in a decreased volume of blood being pumped from the ventricle. The aortic arch and carotid sinuses have baroreceptors that detect reduced blood pressure, triggering the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to release epinephrine and norepinephrine. Initially, this response aims to boost heart rate and...
01:26Imbalances in Cardiac Output
The heart's primary function is to pump blood throughout the body, maintaining a balance between blood sent out (cardiac output) and blood returning (venous return). If this balance is disrupted, it can result in congestive heart failure (CHF), a severe condition where the heart becomes an inefficient pump, leading to inadequate blood circulation.
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send blood...
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send blood...
01:26Heart Failure III: Clinical Manifestations
Heart failure (HF) manifests primarily as dyspnea, fatigue, and fluid retention, resulting in peripheral and pulmonary edema. Symptoms may vary depending on which ventricle is more affected, left or right.Left-Sided Heart FailureAlso known as left ventricular failure, this condition results from the left ventricle's inability to fill or eject sufficient blood into the systemic circulation. It leads to pulmonary congestion, which occurs when the left ventricle fails to eject blood effectively...
01:30Heart Failure IV: Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation
Heart failure can be classified in various ways, with the most common classifications based on physical activity limitations, disease progression, severity, and treatment strategies.The Functional Classification of Heart Failure divides patients into four categories based on physical activity limitation due to symptom burden.Class I: Patients in this class have cardiac disease but no physical activity limitations. Ordinary activities like walking, climbing stairs, or routine tasks do not cause...