Endothelium, Aging, and Vascular Diseases

Aging of the organism is inextricably linked with endothelialdysfunction and the development of vascular diseases. However, ageas such is only one of the factors of vascular aging. Reactive oxygen speciesplay an important role in the mechanisms of endothelial cell (EC)senescence and death. EC senescence can be associated with endothelialreprogramming, when cells acquire an immunological phenotype ortransform into myofibroblasts (endothelial-to-immune or endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition,respectively). Atherosclerosis is one of the most prevalent vasculardiseases, which initiates other, more severe diseases. The developmentalmechanisms of atherosclerosis are associated not only with an increasedlevel of “bad” cholesterol but also with lipoprotein and EC desialylation.Multiple factors related to heredity, lifestyle, or incidence andintensity of infectious diseases cause damage to ECs and thus promoteearly vascular aging, leading to secondary vascular diseases, acceleratedbody aging, cognitive impairments, and the development of neurodegenerativediseases. The review highlights some of these processes, their chronologicaland functional relationships.