Aging, Reactive Nitrogen Species and Myocardial Apoptosis Induced by Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Globally, the proportion of elderly people is growing faster than any other age group. In 2000, one in ten, or about 600 million, people were 60 years or older. By 2025, it is expected to reach 1.2 billion people, and in 2050 around 1.9 billion (Hutton, 2008). Aging is a multifactorial process and has been defined as a time-dependent general decline in physiological function of an organism associated with a progressively increasing risk of morbidity and mortality. It is apparent that during aging different organs are losing their functional reserve and plasticity and become less able to fulfill their physiological function, especially under conditions of stress (Beneke & Burkle, 2007).