Gut microbial metabolites: emerging roles in vascular aging and implications for disease

Population aging is a critical global health challenge that drives a significant increase in the burden of aging-related chronic diseases. Vascular aging, defined as the progressive structural and functional degeneration of blood vessels, is a pivotal manifestation of systemic aging and a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent advances have highlighted the gut microbiota and its metabolites as crucial modulators of host physiology and disease. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the "gut-vascular axis", focusing on the mechanistic roles of key gut-derived metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, and phenylalanine-derived metabolites in vascular aging. We provide a detailed analysis of how specific microbial metabolites influence these processes, discuss their implicated roles in aging-related vascular diseases, particularly atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysms, and illustrate their potential as both pathogenic drivers and therapeutic targets.