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Aging and Risk Factors in Cardiovascular Disease: Cellular, Molecular and Epigenetic Insights

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 19296

Special Issue Editors

Unit of Vascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Centro Cardiologico Monzino—IRCCS, Milan, Italy
Interests: cellular pharmacology; stem/progenitor cell and vascular biology; epigenetics; diabetes; cardiovascular disease; regenerative medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Experimental Cardio-Oncology and Cardiovascular Aging Unit, Centro Cardiologico Monzino—IRCCS, Milan, Italy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aging is a major non-modifiable risk factor in the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Moreover, additional risk factors associated with advancing age, including obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, are known to contribute to detrimental arterial and cardiac remodeling and complicate the CVD.

Increasing clinical and experimental studies have established a multitude of pathways and signals, including epigenetic pathways, influenced by aging and other risk factors that are responsible for key cardiovascular modifications involved in CVD, such as senescence and maladaptive differentiation of vascular and cardiac cells, inflammation, and a reduction in the number and functionality of stem cells.

This Special Issue aims to present a collection of innovative research papers and reviews addressing various aspects of the molecular and (epi)genetic mechanisms underpinning cardiovascular modifications occurring with aging and other risk factors responsible for CVD onset and progression.

Papers published in IJMS (International Journal of Molecular Sciences) are encouraged to include results at molecular level. So, we suggest we could focus it in our summary. General speaking, partial clinical researches and survey studies are not suitable for /IJMS/

Dr. Maria Cristina Vinci
Dr. Angela Raucci
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • cardiovascular disease
  • aging
  • diabetes
  • senescence
  • epigenetics
  • inflammation
  • stem cells
  • fibrosis
  • differentiation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 168 KiB  
Editorial
miR-34a: A Promising Target for Inflammaging and Age-Related Diseases
by Angela Raucci and Maria Cristina Vinci
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(21), 8293; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms21218293 - 05 Nov 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1409
Abstract
The term “inflammaging” describes the chronic, low-grade systemic inflammation that occurs during physiological aging in the absence of an overt infection [...] Full article

Review

Jump to: Editorial

35 pages, 1420 KiB  
Review
Ageing, Age-Related Cardiovascular Risk and the Beneficial Role of Natural Components Intake
by Jacek Rysz, Beata Franczyk, Magdalena Rysz-Górzyńska and Anna Gluba-Brzózka
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(1), 183; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23010183 - 24 Dec 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4536
Abstract
Ageing, in a natural way, leads to the gradual worsening of the functional capacity of all systems and, eventually, to death. This process is strongly associated with higher metabolic and oxidative stress, low-grade inflammation, accumulation of DNA mutations and increased levels of related [...] Read more.
Ageing, in a natural way, leads to the gradual worsening of the functional capacity of all systems and, eventually, to death. This process is strongly associated with higher metabolic and oxidative stress, low-grade inflammation, accumulation of DNA mutations and increased levels of related damage. Detrimental changes that accumulate in body cells and tissues with time raise the vulnerability to environmental challenges and enhance the risk of major chronic diseases and mortality. There are several theses concerning the mechanisms of ageing: genetic, free radical telomerase, mitochondrial decline, metabolic damage, cellular senescence, neuroendocrine theory, Hay-flick limit and membrane theories, cellular death as well as the accumulation of toxic and non-toxic garbage. Moreover, ageing is associated with structural changes within the myocardium, cardiac conduction system, the endocardium as well as the vasculature. With time, the cardiac structures lose elasticity, and fibrotic changes occur in the heart valves. Ageing is also associated with a higher risk of atherosclerosis. The results of studies suggest that some natural compounds may slow down this process and protect against age-related diseases. Animal studies imply that some of them may prolong the lifespan; however, this trend is not so obvious in humans. Full article
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18 pages, 2288 KiB  
Review
How Are Epigenetic Modifications Related to Cardiovascular Disease in Older Adults?
by Mojgan Gharipour, Arya Mani, Mona Amini Baghbahadorani, Camila Kellen de Souza Cardoso, Shayesteh Jahanfar, Nizal Sarrafzadegan, Cesar de Oliveira and Erika Aparecida Silveira
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(18), 9949; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22189949 - 14 Sep 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5113
Abstract
The rate of aging has increased globally during recent decades and has led to a rising burden of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). At the molecular level, epigenetic modifications have been shown recently to alter gene expression during the life course [...] Read more.
The rate of aging has increased globally during recent decades and has led to a rising burden of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). At the molecular level, epigenetic modifications have been shown recently to alter gene expression during the life course and impair cellular function. In this regard, several CVD risk factors, such as lifestyle and environmental factors, have emerged as key factors in epigenetic modifications within the cardiovascular system. In this study, we attempted to summarized recent evidence related to epigenetic modification, inflammation response, and CVD in older adults as well as the effect of lifestyle modification as a preventive strategy in this age group. Recent evidence showed that lifestyle and environmental factors may affect epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and miRNA expression. Several substances or nutrients such as selenium, magnesium, curcumin, and caffeine (present in coffee and some teas) could regulate epigenetics. Similarly, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, air pollutants, psychological stress, and shift working are well-known modifiers of epigenetic patterns. Understanding the exact ways that lifestyle and environmental factors could affect the expression of genes could help to influence the time of incidence and severity of aging-associated diseases. This review highlighted that a healthy lifestyle throughout the life course, such as a healthy diet rich in fibers, vitamins, and essential elements, and specific fatty acids, adequate physical activity and sleep, smoking cessation, and stress control, could be useful tools in preventing epigenetic changes that lead to impaired cardiovascular function. Full article
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12 pages, 1477 KiB  
Review
Stiffness and Aging in Cardiovascular Diseases: The Dangerous Relationship between Force and Senescence
by Silvia Ferrari and Maurizio Pesce
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(7), 3404; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22073404 - 26 Mar 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4220
Abstract
Biological aging is a process associated with a gradual decline in tissues’ homeostasis based on the progressive inability of the cells to self-renew. Cellular senescence is one of the hallmarks of the aging process, characterized by an irreversible cell cycle arrest due to [...] Read more.
Biological aging is a process associated with a gradual decline in tissues’ homeostasis based on the progressive inability of the cells to self-renew. Cellular senescence is one of the hallmarks of the aging process, characterized by an irreversible cell cycle arrest due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, telomeres shortening, chronic inflammatory activation, and chromatin modifications. In this review, we will describe the effects of senescence on tissue structure, extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, and nucleus architecture, and see how these changes affect (are affected by) mechano-transduction. In our view, this is essential for a deeper understanding of the progressive pathological evolution of the cardiovascular system and its relationship with the detrimental effects of risk factors, known to act at an epigenetic level. Full article
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15 pages, 2298 KiB  
Review
New Insights for BPIFB4 in Cardiovascular Therapy
by Marta Dossena, Anna Ferrario, Valentina Lopardo, Elena Ciaglia and Annibale Alessandro Puca
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(19), 7163; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms21197163 - 28 Sep 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3105
Abstract
Aging is the most relevant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases which are the main cause of mortality in industrialized countries. In this context, there is a progressive loss of cardiovascular homeostasis that translates in illness and death. The study of long living individuals [...] Read more.
Aging is the most relevant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases which are the main cause of mortality in industrialized countries. In this context, there is a progressive loss of cardiovascular homeostasis that translates in illness and death. The study of long living individuals (LLIs), which show compression of morbidity toward the end of their life, is a valuable approach to find the key to delay aging and postpone associate cardiovascular events. A contribution to the age-related decline of cardiovascular system (CVS) comes from the immune system; indeed, it is dysfunctional during aging, a process described as immunosenescence and comprises the combination of several processes overpowering both innate and adaptative immune system. We have recently discovered a longevity-associated variant (LAV) in bactericidal/permeability-increasing fold-containing family B member 4 (BPIFB4), which is a secreted protein able to enhance endothelial function through endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation and capable to protect from hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetic cardiopathy, frailty, and inflammaging. Here, we sum up the state of the art of the mechanisms involved in the main pathological processes related to CVD (atherosclerosis, aging, diabetic cardiopathy, and frailty) and shed light on the therapeutic effects of LAV-BPIFB4 in these contexts. Full article
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