A review of clinical and experimental studies highlights the attenuation of cardioprotective pathways with aging and the need for novel interventions to limit age-related myocardial dysfunction.
Understanding the specific genomic and proteomic dynamics of human cardiac aging is critical for designing novel therapeutic interventions to limit age-related myocardial dysfunction.
Advanced age is a strong independent predictor for death, disability, and morbidity in patients with structural heart disease. With the projected increase in the elderly population and the prevalence of age-related cardiovascular disabilities worldwide, the need to understand the biology of the aging heart, the mechanisms for age-mediated cardiac vulnerability, and the development of strategies to limit myocardial dysfunction in the elderly have never been more urgent. Experimental evidence in animal models indicate attenuation in cardioprotective pathways with aging, yet limited information is available regarding age-related changes in the human heart. Human cardiac aging generates a complex phenotype, only partially replicated in animal models. Here, we summarize current understanding of the aging heart stemming from clinical and experimental studies, and we highlight targets for protection of the vulnerable senescent myocardium. Further progress mandates assessment of human tissue to dissect specific aging-associated genomic and proteomic dynamics, and their functional consequences leading to increased susceptibility of the heart to injury, a critical step toward designing novel therapeutic interventions to limit age-related myocardial dysfunction and promote healthy aging.
Jahangir et al. (Fri,) conducted a review in Aging heart. A review of clinical and experimental studies highlights the attenuation of cardioprotective pathways with aging and the need for novel interventions to limit age-related myocardial dysfunction.