Aging and Cardiovascular Disease

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Aging is the predominant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (1) and contributes to a significantly more severe outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction (2). This risk is partly attributable to an age-related decline in the ability of vascular cells to resist stress and effectively remodel the arterial wall. Vascular smooth muscle cells are especially important in this regard. Strategies to prevent the premature senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells could be an effective approach for reducing vascular disease. During the past decade dietary supplementation with the plant-derived polyphenol resveratrol (3,5,4´-trihydroxystilbene) has emerged as a promising approach to counteract age-induced pro-atherogenic phenotypic changes in the vasculature. Resveratrol has been shown to exert significant anti-aging action in vertebrates (3). Resveratrol induced gene expression patterns resembled those induced by caloric restriction (CR) and delayed aging-related deterioration (4). Both resveratrol and CR have beneficial effects in various mammalian models of aging and c...

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