Chronic Infection And Cardiac Aging: A New Perspective On Pathogen-Associated Cardiomyopathy
Our hearts naturally age, and with that comes an increased risk of cardiovascular problems. However, new research highlights a surprising factor that can speed up this process: chronic infections. It turns out that persistent infections from various pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites, don’t just cause immediate illness; they can also prematurely age our hearts.
These long-term infections create a state called “inflammaging,” which is essentially a chronic, low-grade inflammation throughout the body. This constant inflammatory environment mirrors the sterile inflammation that drives natural aging, essentially tricking the heart into thinking it’s older than it is.
Mechanistically, these infections disrupt the heart’s normal functions by interfering with crucial cellular processes like mTOR signaling and autophagy, which are vital for cell maintenance and repair. They also lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, meaning the powerhouses of our cells don’t work as efficiently, and cause oxidative DNA damage and metabolic exhaustion within heart muscle cells.
Furthermore, chronic infections can alter our immune system, leading to changes like macrophage polarization and the development of autoimmunity. These immune system shifts contribute to structural changes in the heart, such as the thickening of the heart muscle (left ventricular hypertrophy), remodeling of the heart tissue, and the formation of scar tissue (interstitial fibrosis).
Recognizing chronic infection as a modifiable factor in biological aging suggests that strategies to prevent and treat these infections could be a vital component in maintaining heart health and promoting longevity, especially as we age.
Source: link to paper