A Compendium of Vascular Ageing

This Research Topic is part of a series on aging and cardiovascular health; readers are invited to explore the other titles in the series:
Cardiovascular Interventions in the Elderly: Challenges and Innovations
Navigating multimorbidity and frailty in geriatric cardiovascular care
Unraveling Cellular Senescence in Cardiovascular Aging: Pathways, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Innovations

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study states that a total of 79.6% (95% UI: 75.7% to 82.5%) of CVD burden is attributable to modifiable risk factors. The central underlying mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases are vascular aging and associated arterial stiffness characterized by structural and functional vascular changes that cause microvascular dysfunction and end-organ damage. Arterial stiffness is now recognized as a significant and independent predictor of CVD making vascular health a key to healthy aging as this connection is strongly related to CVD.

Over the past decade, advances in non-invasive hemodynamic assessment of arterial stiffness and vascular ageing have greatly expanded our understanding of the systemic circulation, emphasizing the strategic function of the great elastic arteries and the ventricular-aortic interaction. Pioneering work by multidisciplinary teams—including physicists, bioengineers, clinicians, and data scientists—has not only deepened scientific insight but also catalyzed innovation in diagnostic tools and analytical methods. Despite these advances, the practical assessment of arterial stiffness remains largely confined to specialized research settings, with limited penetration into everyday clinical practice.

This Research Topic aims to bridge the gap between research and routine care by fostering the transfer of non-invasive vascular hemodynamic knowledge into the clinical arena. We seek to highlight cutting-edge developments in surgical techniques, medical therapies, screening strategies, trial design and device-based innovations designed to assess and mitigate arterial stiffness. A particular emphasis will be placed on translational research that adapts laboratory findings for real-world clinical use, as well as on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. AI has emerged as a powerful tool in automating arterial stiffness measurement, improving diagnostic accuracy, personalizing risk stratification, and facilitating large-scale screening, thereby promising to integrate vascular assessment seamlessly with clinical workflows.

To gather comprehensive insights, we welcome contributions that span the continuum from basic physiology to clinical application. Areas of interest include:

o Surgical approaches to address vascular pathology associated with arterial stiffness

o Medical therapies targeting the mechanisms and consequences of arterial stiffening

o Non pharmacological interventions that mitigate the risks of vascular ageing

o Screening protocols, biomarkers and metabolomics of ageing, cost-effectiveness, gender differences, and population-based strategies for early detection of vascular dysfunction

o Development and validation of novel devices for non-invasive or intraoperative measurement of arterial stiffness

o Translational research bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical innovation

o Artificial intelligence applications, including automated image and waveform analysis, predictive modelling, and personalized care pathways in arterial stiffness evaluation

All article types are encouraged to support a multidisciplinary dialogue that advances arterial stiffness assessment as a fundamental component of cardiovascular risk management.