Increased susceptibility to cardiovascular disease in offspring born from dams of advanced maternal age.

Advanced maternal age increases the risk of pregnancy complications such as fetal growth restriction， hypertension and premature birth. Offspring born from compromised pregnancies are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease as adults. However， the effect of advanced maternal age on later-onset disease in offspring has not been investigated. In adulthood， male but not female offspring born to dams of advanced maternal age showed impaired recovery from cardiac ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Endothelium-dependent relaxation was also impaired in male but not female offspring born from aged dams. Oxidative stress may play a role in the developmental programming of cardiovascular disease in this model. Given the increasing trend toward delayed parenthood， these findings have significant population and health care implications and warrant further investigation.