Author(s)

Ifeoluwa Claudius Daramola^1*, Olabode Aleshinloye², Joshua Eyitemi³, Angioshuya Asinde¹, Nesta Bankejesu¹, Kenechi Unachukwu⁴, Farah Mudhafar Fattah Algitagi⁵, John Charles Chidozie Ifemeje¹

¹Department of General Medicine, Windsor University School of Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
²Department of General Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
³Family Medicine Institute, Augusta, Maine.
⁴Kenechi Unachukwu, Grodno State Medical University, Hrodna, Belarus.
⁵School of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.

Caloric restriction (CR), a dietary approach that reduces calorie intake without causing malnutrition, has been shown to delay aging and extend lifespan in animals like invertebrates and rodents. Since cardiovascular disease and stroke are leading causes of death in older adults, using CR to slow down atherosclerosis could potentially improve cardiovascular health and increase human longevity. This review explores whether caloric restriction impacts the risk of cardiovascular disease in the aged population. Studies on CR in humans, often focused on obese individuals undergoing short-term calorie reduction for weight loss, have revealed significant improvements in key cardiovascular risk factors. These include reductions in blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic), cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, and insulin levels. Interestingly, CR has shown similar benefits for non-obese individuals, improving systemic risk factors associated with atherosclerosis. In summary, evidence suggests that caloric restriction can promote better health and potentially extend lifespan by positively influencing cardiovascular risk factors. However, more research is needed to fully understand its long-term effects on cardiovascular health, especially in older adults who are at higher risk for heart disease.

Caloric Restriction, Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), Hypertension, Elderly Population, Diabetes Mellitus, Coronary Heart Disease, Blood Pressure

Daramola, I.C., Aleshinloye, O., Eyitemi, J., Asinde, A., Bankejesu, N., Unachukwu, K., Algitagi, F.M.F. and Ifemeje, J.C.C. (2024) Calorie Restriction as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease in the Aged Population. Open Access Library Journal, 11, 1-13. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1112670.