Role of FoxO transcription factors in aging-associated cardiovascular diseases

Aging constitutes a major risk factor toward the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The aging heart undergoes several changes at the molecular, cellular and physiological levels, which diminishes its contractile function and weakens stress tolerance. Further, old age increases the exposure to risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. Notably, research in the past decades have identified FoxO subfamily of the forkhead transcription factors as key players in regulating diverse cellular processes linked to cardiac aging and diseases. In the present chapter, we discuss the important role of FoxO in the development of various aging-associated cardiovascular complications such as cardiac hypertrophy, cardiac fibrosis, heart failure, vascular dysfunction, atherosclerosis, hypertension and myocardial ischemia. Besides, we will also discuss the role of FoxO in cardiometabolic alterations, autophagy and proteasomal degradation, which are implicated in aging-associated cardiac dysfunction.