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(Circulation Research. 2004;94:575.)
© 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.

Reviews

Telomeres and Cardiovascular Disease

Does Size Matter?

Antonio L. Serrano, Vicente Andrés

From Laboratory of Vascular Biology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology and Therapy, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain.

Correspondence to Vicente Andrés, Laboratory of Vascular Biology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology and Therapy, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C/Jaime Roig 11, 46010 Valencia, Spain. E-mail vandres{at}ibv.csic.es

Telomeres—the specialized DNA-protein structures at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes—are essential for maintaining genome stability and integrity and for extended proliferative life span in both cultured cells and in the whole organism. Telomerase and additional telomere-associated proteins are necessary for preserving telomeric DNA length. Age-dependent telomere shortening in most somatic cells, including vascular endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and cardiomyocytes, is thought to impair cellular function and viability of the aged organism. Telomere dysfunction is emerging as an important factor in the pathogenesis of hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure. In this Review, we discuss present studies on telomeres and telomere-associated proteins in cardiovascular pathobiology and their implications for therapeutics.

Key Words: telomeres • atherosclerosis • heart disease • hypertension • diabetes

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