Vascular aging: the role of hypertension, obesity and meta-inflammation

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of disability and mortality in the elderly population in developed countries. At the same time, population-based studies have shown that aging remains the most significant risk factor for cardiovascular pathology. Existing geroprotection strategies have not shown high efficiency. At the same time, the mechanisms of the negative impact of known risk factors (such as hypertension, obesity, metabolic disorders) are largely identical to the processes of cardiovascular aging.Pathophysiological processes associated with aging include oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired autophagy and increased apoptosis, telomere dysfunction, meta-inflammation and fibrosis. They are interconnected and are potentiated by the presence of hypertension and obesity, aggravating cardiovascular aging and provoking atherogenesis.Understanding the key common links in the pathogenesis of these processes will help determine the direction of developing more effective strategies for geroprotection and prevention of cardiovascular pathology.