Topic: Mitochondrial Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Aging

Aging is the strongest risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and growing evidence identifies mitochondrial dysfunction as a central mechanism linking aging to structural and functional decline in the heart and vasculature. In the aging cardiovascular system, mitochondria exhibit progressive defects in oxidative phosphorylation, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, calcium handling, redox homeostasis, and mitochondrial DNA integrity. These abnormalities are further exacerbated by compromised mitochondrial quality control, including disrupted proteostasis, altered fission-fusion dynamics, impaired biogenesis, and insufficient mitophagy. Collectively, these changes promote inflammation, cellular senescence, endothelial dysfunction, fibrosis, and maladaptive remodeling, ultimately diminishing cardiovascular resilience with advancing age. At the same time, rapid advances in mitochondrial biology, multi-omics, imaging, and targeted therapeutics are opening new opportunities to identify actionable targets and develop effective interventions.

This Special Issue, “Mitochondrial Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Aging,” welcomes original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that advance the understanding of how mitochondrial defects influence cardiac and vascular aging across experimental models and human disease. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

● Mitochondrial bioenergetics and metabolic remodelingin cardiovascular aging;

● Mitochondrial quality control mechanismsduring cardiac and vascular aging, including proteostasis, mitophagy, fission-fusion dynamics, and biogenesis;

● Mitochondrial DNA damage, redox signaling, and oxidative stressin age-related cardiovascular dysfunction;

● Epigenetic regulation of mitochondrial pathwaysin cardiovascular aging and disease;

● Immunometabolism and inflammaginglinked to mitochondrial dysfunction in the aging cardiovascular system;

● Artificial intelligence and computational approachesfor studying mitochondrial dysfunction, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic prediction in cardiovascular aging.

We particularly encourage submissions that bridge fundamental mechanisms with translational relevance and therapeutic potential. By bringing together diverse perspectives, this Special Issue aims to highlight mitochondria not only as drivers of cardiovascular aging but also as promising therapeutic targets for preserving cardiovascular healthspan.

Cardiovascular aging, mitochondrial dysfunction, mitochondrial protein quality control, bioenergetics, oxidative stress, mitophagy, mitochondrial DNA, endothelial dysfunction, cardiac remodeling, mitochondria-targeted therapeutics