Age has been identified as a critical cardiovascular (CVD) risk factor in epidemiological research, which dwarfs the impact of traditional risk factors. The aging of vascular tissue, which determines health status and CVD among old people, has been considered to be a modifiable risk factor. Aging of blood vessels involves vascular dyshomeostasis, remodeling, and cell aging. According to existing studies, epigenetic regulation and oxidative stress (OS) have critical effects on age-associated disorders and vascular aging. Epigenetic regulation-targeting drugs may become novel managements to treat disorders related to age.

The effect of aging on vasculature can act at many levels from micro-circulation to large vessels. Generally, aging involves chronic and progressive aortic dilation and higher vascular stiffness. There are multiple theories put forward for explaining vascular aging pathogenesis. Among them, one famous theory suggests that mitochondrial metabolism-generated free radicals account for the major factor leading to DNA and cell damage. It is also evident that epigenetic modifications including histone modifications, DNA methylation, or noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), have important effects on vascular aging in terms of its molecular mechanism. This highlights the importance of investigating the role of epigenetics combined with oxidative stress (OS) in explaining disorders associated with vascular aging. There is a synergic action between epigenetic regulators and OS factors. Ultimately, the progression of vascular aging is responsible for atherosclerosis (AS) and aortic diseases, such as abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and aortic dissection (AD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and ischemic stroke (IS). Recent investigations show that epigenetic alterations and oxidative stress are inextricably linked and play major roles in the onset and development of vascular aging. Long-term OS and vascular inflammation can lead to vascular aging, such as AS, AAA, and AD. Age aortic tissues are associated with considerable defected functions and structures in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) as well as endothelial cells (ECs). Typically, the changed functions and structures of these cells represent the major factors leading to vascular aging, and they affect vascular disorders with regard to their processes, severity, and thresholds. VSMC aging is possibly induced by numerous factors like OS, inflammation, and DNA damage, which can modulate VSMC aging at genetic and epigenetic levels. Additionally, more studies are warranted to explore new treatments and molecules targeting OS and the epigenetic processes, so as to prevent and treat disorders related to vascular aging.

This Special Issue welcomes original research and review articles that discuss how oxidative stress (OS) and epigenetic modifications (such as histone modification, non-coding RNAs, DNA methylation, and RNA methylation) affect disorders related to vascular aging, and analyzes pathways along with regulating mechanisms in the above pathophysiological processes. Moreover, we are interested in the relationship between oxidative stress and vascular cell aging, and research that delineates the treatment, rehabilitation and prevention options of OS for aging-related diseases and related risk factors.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of vascular aging-related diseases
• The physiological and pathogenic roles of OS in vascular aging-related large vessel diseases
• Modulatory impact of sex hormones on vascular aging
• The role of vascular aging in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or aortic dissection (AD) and the potential therapeutic targets
• Cross-talk between vascular cells e.g., endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and vascular dyshomeostasis in atherosclerosis (AS)
• Epigenetic regulation on vascular aging as well as associated vascular disorders
• Epigenetic processes like histone modification, ncRNAs and DNA methylation have critical effects on AD and AAA; epigenetic drugs may be used to treat aneurysms
• Major ways to prevent, diagnose and treat oxidative stress within disorders related to vascular aging
• Association among mitochondrial dynamic dysfunction, epigenetic alteration, and OS within vascular disorders
• Translational and clinical medicine studies on epigenetic dysregulation and OS within vascular disease
• The potential aging-related drug targets of vascular diseases and new ideas for basic and translational medical research of aortic diseases (AAA and AD)
• The role of redox signaling and OS pathways in vascular aging-related diseases
• Molecular association of oxidation, inflammation, and epigenetics with peripheral arterial diseases (PAD)
• Epigenetic regulation of ROS-induced processes is the candidate approach for further understanding vascular aging and developing new treatment strategies