Heart ageing may be reversed by altering cell environment

Altering the environment around heart cells could help reverse age-related cardiac decline, a new study suggests.

Instead of focusing on heart cells themselves, the researchers examined the extracellular matrix (ECM) – the protein- and molecule-based structure that surrounds and supports these cells. This matrix, which acts like scaffolding, helps maintain tissue integrity and relays biochemical signals essential to heart function.

The study indicates that changing the ECM could rejuvenate old heart cells and restore ageing heart tissue to a more youthful state. This represents a shift from conventional approaches to cardiovascular ageing, which have typically targeted heart cells directly.

As people age, the ECM becomes stiffer and less elastic. This can impair the function of heart cells, reduce the heart’s pumping efficiency, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to the researchers, reversing these ECM changes may help improve heart performance in older adults.

The findings come from scientists at the Mechanobiology Institute in Singapore and highlight the ECM as a possible driver of heart ageing.

Despite the potential of this research, lifestyle habits remain central to heart health. Regular physical activity supports ECM flexibility by encouraging blood flow and reducing inflammation. Activities such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling for around 150 minutes each week are recommended.

A heart-healthy diet – such as the Mediterranean or DASH pattern – rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins can help reduce inflammation and support cardiovascular function.

Managing stress through practices like mindfulness, meditation or spending time outdoors may lower chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalances that affect both heart cells and their surrounding matrix. Avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol intake can also reduce ECM damage and slow cardiovascular ageing.

The study challenges existing understanding of how hearts age and raises the possibility that age-related cardiac decline could be reversed. By targeting the cellular environment rather than the cells alone, researchers believe new therapies could emerge to support heart function later in life.