Epigenetics: a new warrior against cardiovascular calcification, a forerunner in modern lifestyle diseases.

Abstract

Arterial and aortic valve calcifications are the most prevalent pathophysiological conditions among all the reported cases of cardiovascular calcifications. It increases with several risk factors like age, hypertension, external stimuli, mechanical forces, lipid deposition, malfunction of genes and signaling pathways, enhancement of naturally occurring calcium inhibitors, and many others. Modern-day lifestyle is affected by numerous environmental factors and harmful toxins that impair our health rather than providing benefits. Applying the combinatorial approach or targeting the exact mechanism could be a new strategy for drug designing or attenuating the severity of calcification. Most of the non-communicable diseases are life-threatening; thus, altering the phenotype and not the genotype may reveal the gateway for fighting with upcoming hurdles. Overall, this review summarizes the reason behind the generation of arterial and aortic valve calcification and its related signaling pathways and also the detrimental effects of calcification. In addition, the individual process of epigenetics and how the implementation of this process becomes a novel approach for diminishing the harmful effect of calcification are discussed. Noteworthy, as epigenetics is linked with genetics and environmental factors necessitates further clinical trials for complete and in-depth understanding and application of this strategy in a more specific and prudent manner.