Cardiovascular aging: spotlight on mitochondria

Mitochondria are cellular organelles critical for ATP production and are particularly relevant to cardiovascular diseases including heart failure, atherosclerosis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and cardiomyopathies. With advancing age, even in the absence of clinical disease, mitochondrial homeostasis becomes disrupted (e.g., redox balance, mitochondrial DNA damage, oxidative metabolism, and mitochondrial quality control). Mitochondrial dysregulation leads to the accumulation of damaged and dysfunctional mitochondria, producing excessive reactive oxygen species and perpetuating mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, mitochondrial DNA, cardiolipin, and