Perivascular adipose tissue-mediated arterial stiffening in aging and disease: An emerging translational therapeutic target?

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality in modernized societies. Arterial stiffening with aging and disease is a key pathological event leading to increased CVD morbidity and mortality. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is a fat depot not widely studied yet has direct and profound effects on arterial stiffening. Identifying PVAT as a novel therapeutic target to lower arterial stiffness and thereby CVD risk has potentially important clinical ramifications. Thus, herein, we will overview the current preclinical evidence and the associated mechanisms for PVAT to promote arterial stiffness with aging and other disease conditions. We will also discuss viable translational lifestyle and pharmacological interventions for altering PVAT function that may de-stiffen arteries. Last, the translational potential for PVAT as a therapeutic target to lower arterial stiffness and CVD risk for clinical populations will be discussed.