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Dr. Simon Sedej is an Associate Professor of Physiology at the Department of Cardiology of the Medical University of Graz, Austria. His research focuses on the mechanisms underlying age-related cardiometabolic decline and its effects on functional and structural myocardial remodeling using relevant animal models. He is the coordinator of the MINOTAUR (Metabolic Therapy for Managing Diastolic Heart Failure) project funded by the ERA-CVD/Transnational Research Projects on Cardiovascular Diseases (2017-2020). Recently, Dr. Sedej made a significant contribution to the discovery that the natural polyamine and caloric restriction mimetic spermidine is cardioprotective in the setting of aging and hypertension-inducedheart failure.
Commentary on ‘Ketogenic Diet Reduces Midlife Mortality and Improves Memory in Aging Mice’ by Newman et al., Cell Metabolism, 2017.4
Adverse dietary habits increase obesity and exacerbate the functional decline of the aged heart. Caloric restriction or dietary modifications reduce obesity, delay aging and protect against age-related pathologies, including cardiovascular disease.1 However, the inability of most individuals to follow rigorous diets, as well as their potential adverse effects, limits their implementation. One such dietary regimen that mimics healthspan-promoting effects of caloric restriction is ketogenic diet (KD), which consists of high-fat and low- or no-carbohydrate. Standard KD efficiently reduces body weight and stimulates hepatic synthesis of ketone bodies (KB; acetoacetate, β-hydroxybutyrate and acetone).2 Ketones are released into the bloodstream and provide energy-efficient fuel to highly oxidative organs, including liver, brain and the heart. While much is known about the short-term effects of KD,3 the long-term effects on cardiac aging, obesity and other cardiovascular risk factors are largely understudied.
