Exercise as elixir to combat cardiovascular ageing

The global demographic shift towards an ageing population has rendered cardiovascular ageing and its associated pathologies a growing challenge for health. Emerging evidence highlights the critical role of exercise in mitigating age-associated cardiovascular alterations in structure and function and preventing ageing-associated cardiovascular diseases. However, the precise molecular mechanisms mediating these exercise-induced benefits in promoting healthy cardiovascular ageing remains incompletely mapped. Current progresses suggest that exercise exerts its anti-ageing effects through multiple synergistic mechanisms, including attenuation of conventional cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular structural remodeling, metabolic optimization, mitochondrial functional enhancement, and exerkine-mediated inter-tissue communication. These mechanisms collectively contribute to a more healthy cardiovascular ageing. Gaining a deeper insight into how exercise promotes healthy cardiovascular ageing not only advances our understanding of cardiovascular ageing but also illuminates potential approaches to prevent cardiovascular ageing and treat cardiovascular diseases. This review systematically discusses contemporary findings on exercise-mediated anti-cardiovascular ageing, and critically evaluates potential clinical applications and future research directions in the field.