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Inflammation, Aging, and Cardiovascular Disease: JACC Review Topic of the Week

Luca Liberale1, Lina Badimon2, Fabrizio Montecucco3

  • 1Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland; First Clinic of Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/liberale_luca.

Journal of the American College of Cardiology
|February 25, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Aging and inflammation drive cardiovascular disease. Understanding "inflamm-aging" may reveal new treatments for age-related decline and improve care for the growing elderly population.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Immunology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

  • Aging and inflammation are key factors in cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular diseases, major global health issues.
  • The "inflamm-aging" concept links chronic low-grade inflammation in the elderly to increased CV risk.
  • Identifying mechanisms connecting aging and inflammation is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent scientific advances in how inflamm-aging affects age-dependent decline in CV function.
  • To explore the onset of CV and cerebrovascular diseases mediated by inflamm-aging.
  • To critically assess the translational potential of inflamm-aging concepts in clinical practice.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent scientific advances.
  • Analysis of pathways linking inflammation and aging in cardiovascular health.
  • Critical evaluation of clinical translation of inflamm-aging research.

Main Results:

  • Inflamm-aging plays a significant role in age-related CV dysfunction.
  • Specific inflammatory pathways mediate the onset of age-dependent cardiovascular diseases.
  • Translational challenges exist in applying inflamm-aging research to clinical settings.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding inflamm-aging is vital for addressing age-related cardiovascular decline.
  • Targeting inflamm-aging pathways offers potential therapeutic avenues.
  • Further research is needed to bridge the gap between inflamm-aging science and clinical application.

Keywords:
cardiovascular diseaseinflamm-aginginflammationvascular aging

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