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Aging, Telomeres and Atherosclerosis María Dolores Edo and Vicente Andrés1 Laboratory of Vascular Biology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology and Therapy, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia-CSIC, 46010 Valencia, Spain KEY WORDS: Aging, telomeres, telomerase, atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes WORD COUNT: 8123 1 Corresponding autor: Laboratory of Vascular Biology Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology and Therapy Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia C/Jaime Roig 11, 46010 Valencia (Spain) Tel: +34-96-3391752 FAX: +34-96-3391751 E-mail: vandres@ibv.csic.es SUMMARY Although the level and pace of population aging display high geographical variability, virtually all countries have been experiencing growth in their elderly population, particularly in developed nations. The US Census Bureau has estimated that aged population will rise steeply during the next decades. Because the morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease is so profound within the elderly, understanding the physiologic and molecular aspects of vascular aging is of up most importance. Mounting evidence suggests that the gradual shortening of telomeres during ageing is an important factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and associated disease. Here we review our current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms controlling telomere length in vascular cells, the importance of telomeres in vascular pathobiology as learnt from both human and animal studies, and potential applications of these findings to improve therapeutic angiogenesis. 1. Introduction Aging is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis and associated disease. [1,2] Population aging is decidedly increasing, particularly in developed countries. For example, data from the US Census Bureau estimate that the population over the age of 65 years will represent 20% in US and 25% in Europe. [3] Thus, a major challenge is to unravel the molecular mechanisms contributing to ageing to help implement novel