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Cardiovascular Aging and Heart Failure: JACC Review Topic of the Week
Filippos Triposkiadis1, Andrew Xanthopoulos1, Javed Butler2
1Department of Cardiology, Larissa University General Hospital, Larissa, Greece.
Insights
Cardiovascular aging, driven by oxidative stress and inflammation, contributes to heart failure (HF) in the elderly. Understanding these mechanisms, including cardiac amyloidosis, is crucial for managing HF outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) predominantly affects the elderly population.
- Cardiovascular aging involves complex interactions between aging processes, risk factors (obesity, hypertension, atherosclerosis), comorbidities (anemia, CKD, diabetes), and modifiers (sex, genes).
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current data on the mechanisms of cardiovascular aging.
- To elucidate how these mechanisms contribute to the development of HF phenotype and outcome in the elderly.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of published data on cardiovascular aging and HF.
- Analysis of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying aging-related cardiovascular dysfunction.
Main Results:
- Key aging mechanisms include excessive oxidative stress, chronic low-grade inflammation, and limited cardiac regeneration.
- Cardiac amyloidosis is a significant precipitating factor for HF in a notable percentage of elderly patients.
Conclusions:
- Cardiovascular aging is a critical factor in the pathogenesis of HF in older adults.
- Targeting aging-related mechanisms and comorbidities may improve HF management and outcomes.
Abstract:
Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome that usually develops in the elderly. Complex interactions of the cardiovascular aging process with risk factors (obesity, hypertension, and atherosclerosis), comorbidities (anemia, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and so on), and disease modifiers (sex, genes, others) contribute to the development of HF phenotype and outcome. A conglomerate of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlies the effects of aging on cardiovascular function, the most important being excessive oxidative stress and chronic low-grade inflammation superimposed on the limited cardiac regeneration capacity. Notably, a sizeable percentage of elderly HF patients have cardiac amyloidosis, an HF precipitator. This review summarizes the current published data on the mechanisms of cardiovascular aging as they contribute to the development of HF phenotype and outcome.
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