Aging-induced pathological alterations of the circulatory system play a critical role in morbidity and mortality of older adults. While the importance of cellular and molecular mechanisms of arterial aging for increased cardiovascular risk in older adults is increasingly appreciated, aging processes of veins are much less studied and understood than those of arteries. In this review, age-related cellular and morphological alterations in the venous system are presented. Similarities and dissimilarities between arterial and venous aging are highlighted, and shared molecular mechanisms of arterial and venous aging are considered. The pathogenesis of venous diseases affecting older adults, including varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency, and deep vein thrombosis, is discussed, and the potential contribution of venous pathologies to the onset of vascular cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases is emphasized. It is our hope that a greater appreciation of the cellular and molecular processes of vascular aging will stimulate further investigation into strategies aimed at preventing or retarding age-related venous pathologies.

衰老引起的循环系统病理改变在老年人的发病率和死亡率中起关键作用。虽然人们越来越认识到动脉老化的细胞和分子机制对增加老年人心血管风险的重要性，但与动脉老化过程相比，对静脉老化过程的研究和理解要少得多。在这篇综述中，介绍了静脉系统中与年龄相关的细胞和形态学改变。强调了动脉和静脉衰老之间的异同，并考虑了动脉和静脉衰老的共同分子机制。讨论了影响老年人的静脉疾病的发病机制，包括静脉曲张、慢性静脉功能不全和深静脉血栓形成，并强调了静脉病变对血管性认知障碍和神经退行性疾病的潜在贡献。我们希望，对血管衰老的细胞和分子过程的更深入了解将促进对旨在预防或延缓与年龄相关的静脉病变的策略的进一步研究。