Effects of caloric restriction on cardiovascular aging

Approximately one in three Americans has some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD), accounting for one of every 2.8 deaths in the United States in 2004. Two of the major risk factors for CVD are advancing age and obesity.

An intervention able to positively impact both aging and obesity, such as caloric restriction (CR), may prove extremely useful in the fight against CVD. CR is the only environmental or lifestyle intervention that repeatedly has been shown to increase maximum life span and to retard aging in laboratory rodents. This article reviews evidence that CR in nonhuman primates and people has a positive effect on risk factors for CVD.

This work was supported by grants P01 AG-11915 (National Institute on Aging) and P51 RR000167 (National Center for Research Resources [NCRR]). This research was conducted in part at a facility constructed with support from Research Facilities Improvement Program grant numbers RR15459-01 and RR020141-01 from NCRR

Clin Geriatr Med. 2009 Nov;25(4):733-43.