Chapter 7 Dietary Restriction, Cardiovascular Aging and Age-Related Cardiovascular Diseases: A Review of the Evidence

Abstract

Calorie restriction (CR) and alternate-day fasting (ADF) (or intermittent fasting) are two of the various forms of dietary restriction (DR) [1]. CR, explained as a decrease in calorie intake without malnutrition, has been demonstrated to increase life span, ameliorate many functional indexes, and decrease metabolic risk factors for chronic metabolic disorders in several mammalian species [2, 3]. Calorie restricted diets have included decreasing food intake to 60–85% of daily energy requirements [1]. In addition to noticeable life span prolongation, CR has significant impacts on agerelated physiological and pathophysiological changes [4–9]. CR is also expected to decrease cardiovascular morbidity and mortality by creating pleiotropic cardiovascular preservation [6–9]. Several investigations have demonstrated that CR significantly reduces oxidative damage in the aging heart [7]. The concentrations of 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine were found to be lower in cardiac mitochondria acquired from rats receiving CR than in those from ad libitum (AL)-fed groups [7]. Recent studies demonstrated that CR makes an active defense response that enhances survival during stressful states [8, 10]. At the core of this response are the so-called longevity regulatory pathways, which consist of insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), and NAD-dependent deacetylases, which are also called sirtuins. These signaling pathways make a network with positive and negative feedback control [11, 12]. They also play a major role in the evolution of CR-induced cardiovascular health.