Arterial stiffness and vascular aging: mechanisms, prevention, and therapy
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The central underlying mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases are vascular aging and associated arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness is characterized by structural (e.g., tunica media calcification, alterations in vascular smooth muscle cells, and fibrosis) and functional (e.g., loss of Windkessel function, elevated pulse pressure, and development of isolated systolic hypertension) vascular changes that cause microvascular dysfunction and end-organ damage (e.g., heart failure, vascular dementia, hypertensive retinopathy, and chronic kidney disease). Current research indicates that arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and represents a potential target for personalized prevention and therapeutic approaches. In this review, we summarize the pathophysiological mechanisms of vascular aging and arterial stiffness, outline the resulting end-organ damage, present different methods for the measurement of arterial stiffness, highlight the potential role of prevention and therapy, and provide future perspectives for arterial stiffness research. The purpose of this review is to provide a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary and translational approach to arterial stiffness, highlighting unique pathophysiological mechanisms (e.g., perivascular adipose tissue, extracellular vesicles), clinical relevance, and future directions.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Tobacco and COPD: presenting the World Health Organization (WHO) Tobacco Knowledge Summary
- Comparative effects of e-cigarette smoking on periodontal status, salivary pH, and cotinine levels
- Association between exposure to environmental pollutants and increased oral health risks, a comprehensive review
- Influence of gestational window on offspring vascular health in rodents with in utero exposure to electronic cigarettes
- Natural products as kinase inhibitors in lung cancer: molecular mechanisms, therapeutic potential, and clinical trials
- Nicotine in electronic cigarettes
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.