About this Research Topic
Following Thomas Sydenham’s seminal statement that “a man is as old as his arteries”, great emphasis has been placed on the study of vascular function and structure with aging. This area of study is pivotal for clinical practice in an aging society, considering that vascular dysfunction has shown to be a major determinant of cardiovascular risk. Moreover, particular stress has been placed on the role of arterial stiffness and central pulse wave characteristics as measures of the cumulative effect of cardiovascular risk factors on the physiological aging process.
One emerging concept refers to early vascular aging as an expression of abnormal arterial stiffening, through which a change in the life expectancy trajectory will increase the probability of a poor health outcome. Conversely, the early reversion of this accelerated vascular aging should allow for a shift in this trajectory towards a more favorable health outcome, specifically in close relation to the healthy vascular ageing continuum. Currently, some of the major questions underlined by the early vascular aging concept include (1) the validation of tissue biomarkers as surrogate end points for cardiovascular risk reduction, (2) the determination of the predictive value of these arterial tissue biomarkers, and the discriminative improvement over conventional cardiovascular risk factors, (3) the identification of effective and multidisciplinary actions to counteract the pathophysiological processes reflected in this syndrome, particularly the aggressive decrease of atherosclerosis modifiers, and (4) the education towards a higher awareness of vascular aging in clinical practice.
Thus, the aims of this Research Topic are: (1) to review the current knowledge about vascular aging, covering both methodological developments and clinical applications; (2) to evaluate vascular aging in different vascular beds; (3) to weigh available and emerging tissue biomarkers of arterial aging; (4) to discuss pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to maintain or correct the vascular aging trajectories. We welcome Original Research, Reviews, new Methodology papers and Systematic Reviews including articles that focus on meta-analyses and comprehensive review approaches.
Contributors are welcome to cover different areas of vascular physiology and cardiovascular risk, including (but not limited to):
• Arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk
• De-stiffening interventions
• Aging and arterial disease
• Changes in wave travel with aging
• Wave reflections and cardiovascular risk
• Methods for assessing vascular aging
• Arterial tissue biomarkers and vascular aging
Keywords: Vascular Function, Arterial Stiffness, Lifestyle Intervention, Pharmacology Intervention, Aging
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
