The carotid plaque as paradigmatic case of site-specific acceleration of agingprocess: The microRNAs and the inflammaging contribution

none11noAtherosclerosis is considered a chronic inflammatory disease of arteries associated with the aging process. Manyrisk factors have been identified and they are mainly related to life-styles, gene-environment interactions andsocioeconomic status. Carotid and coronary artery diseases are the two major atherosclerotic conditions, beingthe primary cause of stroke and heart attack, respectively. Nevertheless, carotid plaque assumes particular as-pects not only for the specific molecular mechanisms, but also for the types of atheroma which may be associatedwith a better or a worst prognosis. The identification of circulating blood biomarkers able to distinguish carotidplaque types (stable or vulnerable) is a crucial step for the improvement of adequate therapeutic approachesavoiding or delaying endarterectomy in the oldest old individuals (> 80 years), a population predicted togrowth in the next years. The review highlights the most recent knowledge on carotid plaque molecular me-chanisms, focusing on microRNAs (miRs), as a site-specific accelerated aging within the conceptual frameworkof Geroscience for new affordable therapiesopenSalvatore Collura, Cristina Morsiani, Andrea Vacirca, Sara Fronterrè, Carmen Ciavarella, Francesco Vasuri, Antonia D'Errico, Claudio Franceschi, Gianandrea Pasquinelli, Mauro Gargiulo, Miriam CapriSalvatore Collura, Cristina Morsiani, Andrea Vacirca, Sara Fronterrè, Carmen Ciavarella, Francesco Vasuri, Antonia D'Errico, Claudio Franceschi, Gianandrea Pasquinelli, Mauro Gargiulo, Miriam Capr