The role of sirtuins and uncoupling proteins on vascular aging: The Northern Manhattan Study experience

David Della-Morte; Francesca Pacifici; Marialaura Simonetto; Chuanhui Dong; Nicole Dueker; Susan H Blanton; Liyong Wang; Tatjana Rundek

doi:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.05.010

The role of sirtuins and uncoupling proteins on vascular aging: The Northern Manhattan Study experience

Free Radic Biol Med. 2024 May 8:220:262-270. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.05.010. Online ahead of print.

Authors

David Della-Morte¹, Francesca Pacifici², Marialaura Simonetto³, Chuanhui Dong⁴, Nicole Dueker⁵, Susan H Blanton⁵, Liyong Wang⁵, Tatjana Rundek⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy; Department of Neurology, The Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA; Department of Human Sciences and Quality of Life Promotion, San Raffaele Roma Open University, 00166, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: ddellamorte@med.miami.edu.
² Department of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy; Department of Human Sciences and Quality of Life Promotion, San Raffaele Roma Open University, 00166, Rome, Italy.
³ Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
⁴ Department of Neurology, The Evelyn McKnight Brain Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.
⁵ John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Dr. John T. Macdonald, Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.

PMID: 38729451
DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.05.010

Abstract

Aging affects all organs. Arteries, in particular, are among the most affected. Vascular aging (VA) is defined as age-associated changes in function and structure of vessels. Classical VA phenotypes are carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), carotid plaque (CP), and arterial stiffness (STIFF). Individuals have different predisposition to these VA phenotypes and their associated risk of cardiovascular events. Some develop an early vascular aging (EVA), and others are protected and identified as having supernormal vascular aging (SUPERNOVA). The mechanisms leading to these phenotypes are not well understood. In the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS), we found genetic variants in the 7 Sirtuins (SIRT) and 5 Uncoupling Proteins (UCP) to be differently associated with risk to developing VA phenotypes. In this article, we review the results of genetic-epidemiology studies to better understand which of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SIRT and UCP are responsible for both EVA and SUPERNOVA.

Publication types

Review