Abstract
Impairment of vascular function, in particular endothelial dysfunction and large elastic artery stiffening, represents a major link between ageing and cardiovascular risk. Clinical and experimental studies identified numerous mechanisms responsible for age-related decline of endothelial function and arterial compliance. Since most of these mechanisms are related to oxidative stress or low-grade inflammation, strategies that suppress oxidative stress and inflammation could be effective for preventing age-related changes in arterial function. Indeed, aerobic physical activity, which has been shown to improve intracellular redox balance and mitochondrial health and reduce levels of systemic inflammatory markers, also improves endothelial function and arterial distensibility and reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases. The present paper provides a brief overview of processes underlying age-related changes in arterial function, as well as the mechanisms through which aerobic exercise might prevent or interrupt these processes, and thus attenuate vascular ageing.
Highlights
Chronological age is the major risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality
Numerous clinical and experimental studies demonstrated a progressive decline of arterial function with age, even in the absence of conventional CV risk factors and clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) [2,3,4,5,6,7], which gave rise to the theory that arterial dysfunction is a primary effect of advancing age and may represent a link between ageing and CVD [5]
Ageing is associated with increase in oxidative stress and with low-grade systemic inflammation, both of which play an important role in endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffening, i.e., in two main age-related arterial phenotypes [8,9]
Summary
Chronological age is the major risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Ageing is associated with increase in oxidative stress and with low-grade systemic inflammation, both of which play an important role in endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffening, i.e., in two main age-related arterial phenotypes [8,9]. Strategies that suppress oxidative stress and inflammation could be effective for preventing age-related changes in arterial function. In general, and regular aerobic exercise, in particular, were shown to diminish oxidative stress and vascular inflammation, improve endothelial function and arterial distensibility and reduce CVD risk [10,11,12,13,14,15]. The present paper provides a brief overview of processes underlying age-related changes in arteries as well as the mechanisms through which aerobic exercise might prevent or interrupt these processes and attenuate vascular ageing
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