Figure 5. Practical alternatives to regular caloric restriction for treating vascular ageing.

Vascular ageing contributes to the development of cardiovascular, kidney, neurological and brain diseases, cognitive dysfunction and hypertension. Calorie restriction prevents/reverses vascular ageing; however, adherence to sustained CR is not feasible for the majority of humans (dotted line) and may have adverse side effects in older adults. More practical alternative strategies (continuous lines) include: (1) pharmacological (nutraceutical) ‘CR mimetic’ compounds that modulate the energy‐ and nutrient‐sensing pathways sirtuin‐1 (SIRT1), AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK), autophagy and/or the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC1); and (2) CR‐mimicking lifestyle (behavioural) strategies including time‐restricted feeding, which may simulate the benefits of CR by simultaneously modulating several of these energy‐ and nutrient‐sensing pathways, while allowing older adults to maintain adequate calorie and nutrient intake.