Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and Aging: Is There a Sensible Link?

Aging is a complex irreversible biological process associated with increased prevalence of chronic disease and high healthcare burden. Several theories have been proposed for the biology of aging including free radical accumulation, DNA damage, apoptosis, telomere shortening, autophagy failure, and disturbed autonomic response. Aging is also closely associated with progressive deterioration of cardiovascular and neurological functions. Linkage, genome-wide association (GWAS), and next-generation sequencing analysis have confirmed a number of susceptibility loci for aging, in particular, Alzheimer’s disease. Recent evidence from our group and others also revealed a tie between genetic mutation of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) and life span as well as cardiovascular aging. ALDH2 represents the single most gene with the greatest number of human genetic polymorphism and is deemed an important enzyme for detoxification of reactive aldehydes. Here, we will briefly review the tie between ALDH2 and cardiovascular aging process. While recent work on ALDH2 research has broadened the pathogenic mechanisms of ALDH2 mutation or deficiency, therapeutic potential targeting ALDH2 in the elderly still remains debatable.