Differences in Cardiovascular Aging in Men and Women
Alice E Kane1, Susan E Howlett2,3
1Department of Pharmacology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Insights
Aging is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease due to age-dependent changes in the heart and blood vessels. These maladaptive changes, differing between sexes and exacerbated by frailty, increase disease susceptibility in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Gerontology
- Aging Research
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) prevalence significantly increases with age in both sexes.
- Advanced age is recognized as a major independent risk factor for CVD, beyond cumulative exposure to other risks.
- Age-related cellular, structural, and functional changes occur in the heart and vasculature, even in the absence of clinical CVD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the independent role of aging as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- To investigate the age-dependent remodeling of the heart and blood vessels.
- To examine sex-specific differences and the impact of frailty on age-related cardiovascular changes.
Main Methods:
- Review of studies on older humans and animal models of aging.
- Analysis of age-dependent cellular, structural, and functional changes in cardiovascular systems.
- Examination of sex-based variations and frailty-related effects on cardiovascular aging.
Main Results:
- Aging induces maladaptive remodeling in the heart and blood vessels.
- Accumulation of cellular and subcellular deficits with age increases cardiovascular disease susceptibility.
- Age-related cardiovascular changes exhibit sex-specific patterns and are more pronounced in frail individuals.
Conclusions:
- Age itself is a critical determinant of cardiovascular disease risk.
- Understanding sex-specific and frailty-related cardiovascular aging is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Age-related cardiovascular deficits contribute to differential disease susceptibility in aging men and women, particularly the frail.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular diseases increase dramatically with age in both men and women. While it is clear that advanced age allows more time for individuals to be exposed to risk factors in general, there is strong evidence that age itself is a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Indeed, there are distinct age-dependent cellular, structural, and functional changes in both the heart and blood vessels, even in individuals with no clinical evidence of cardiovascular disease. Studies in older humans and in animal models of aging indicate that this age-related remodeling is maladaptive. An emerging view is that the heart and blood vessels accumulate cellular and subcellular deficits with age and these deficits increase susceptibility to disease in older individuals. Aspects of this age-dependent remodeling of the heart and blood vessels differ between the sexes. There is also new evidence that these maladaptive changes are more prominent in older animals and humans with a high degree of frailty. These observations may help explain why men and women are susceptible to different cardiovascular diseases as they age and why frail older adults are most often affected by these diseases.
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