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Published on: June 14, 2020
Circadian biology of cardiac aging
Sharanya S Bettadapura1, William D Todd2, Graham R McGinnis3
1Kinesiology & Health, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
Insights
As the U.S. population ages, cardiovascular disease rises. This review explores how aging disrupts the heart
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Gerontology
- Chronobiology
Background:
- The U.S. population is aging, leading to increased age-related cardiovascular disease.
- Circadian rhythms are vital for health but are impaired by aging and heart disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review changes in cardiac circadian rhythms with aging.
- To examine the link between cardiac aging and heart disease.
- To explore interventions for aging and their impact on cardiac clock function.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on aging, circadian rhythms, and cardiovascular disease.
- Analysis of the impact of aging on cardiac clock mechanisms.
- Evaluation of potential chronotherapeutic interventions.
Main Results:
- Aging alters cardiac circadian rhythms, potentially contributing to heart disease.
- Interventions targeting aging may affect cardiac clock function.
- Chronotherapy might offer benefits for cardiac function in aging.
Conclusions:
- Altered circadian clock output is a hallmark of aging.
- Restoring cardiac clock function is crucial for healthy cardiac aging.
- Further research is needed to understand and target cardiac circadian biology in aging.
Abstract:
The age of the U.S. population is increasing alongside a growing burden of age-related cardiovascular disease. Circadian rhythms are critical for human health and are disrupted with aging and cardiovascular disease. The goal of the present review is to summarize how cardiac circadian rhythms change with age and how this might contribute to the increasing burden of age-associated heart disease. Further, we will review what is known about interventions to slow aging and whether they impact cardiac clock function, as well as whether time-of-day or chronotherapy may improve cardiac function with age. Although much remains to be understood about the circadian biology of cardiac aging, we propose that altered circadian clock output should be considered a hallmark of aging and that efforts to fix the clock are warranted for healthy cardiac aging.
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