Lifestyle and Vascular Ageing

About this Research Topic

Background

Vascular ageing is a lifelong process and the result of the integrated effect of cardiovascular and environmental factors, genetic predisposition, and fetal programming. Individual outcomes in terms of cardiovascular disease burden vary from early vascular ageing (EVA) to supernormal vascular ageing (SUPERNOVA). Whereas EVA is characterized by premature vascular dysfunction and structural remodeling, SUPERNOVA is the exact opposite defined as abnormally low stiffening and high elasticity of the arteries. Although several predictive models for future cardiovascular disease burden exist, the high variation of individual lifetime trajectories of vascular ageing remains elusive.



Over the past 30 years the massive impact of lifestyle behavior on individual vascular ageing has become very clear. However, the incidence of physical inactivity, sedentary behavior, and unhealthy diet keeps increasing in almost every country of the world. There is an urgent need for (a) a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the effects of lifestyle on individual vascular ageing, (b) programs to implement a healthy lifestyle most effectively in the population, and (c) the identification of novel and improvement of established biomarkers for tracking vascular adaptations to lifestyle-based therapeutic approaches.



This Research Topic aims to highlight new findings on the relationship between lifestyle and vascular ageing, including:

(a) Research in clinical and non-clinical populations across the entire lifespan focusing on prevention and treatment of EVA as well as promotion of SUPERNOVA (supernormal vascular ageing i.e., in old and very old individuals).

(b) Human and animal studies exploring the underlying mechanisms of individual lifetime trajectories of vascular ageing despite the exposure to both, an unhealthy as well as a particularly healthy lifestyle.

(c) The in vivo or in vitro exploration of novel potential clinical or molecular biomarkers of vascular ageing.

(d) Epidemiological studies on the effects of specific programs or intervention to prevent EVA, optimize and maintain a good vascular health.

(e) Research on primordial vascular prevention involving very young populations, such as children and adolescents.



Systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which synthesize relevant evidence, are also welcome.

Keywords: Vascular ageing, lifestyle, exercise, diet, cardiovascular disease, supernormal vascular ageing, clinical studies, animal studies, cardiovascular risk, molecular biomarkers, primordial prevention, children, adolescents, centenarians, super healthy

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.

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