Clinical Impact and Mechanisms of Nonatherosclerotic Vascular Aging: The New Kid to Be Blocked.

Ischemic cardiovascular disease and stroke remain the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. During aging, protective mechanisms in the body gradually deteriorate, resulting in functional, structural, and morphologic changes that affect the vascular system. Because atherosclerotic plaques are not always present along with these alterations, we refer to this kind of vascular aging as nonatherosclerotic vascular aging (NAVA).

The Effects of Acute and Chronic Selective Phosphodiesterase 1 Inhibition on Smooth Muscle Cell-Associated Aging Features.

Age-related cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain among the leading global causes of death, and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) remodeling plays an essential role in its pathology. Reduced NO-cGMP pathway signaling is a major feature and pathogenic mechanism underlying vasodilator dysfunction. Recently, we identified phosphodiesterase (PDE) 1, an enzyme that hydrolyzes and inactivates the cyclic nucleotides cAMP and cGMP, and thereby provides a potential treatment target for restoring age-related vascular dysfunction due to aging of VSMC.