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Our hearts keep us moving, thinking, and living life on our own terms. Yet every year, heart disease claims over 20 million lives, causing nearly one in three deaths worldwide. Statistically speaking, most of us, if not all, know someone, a loved one, a friend, or a colleague, who has been affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD). And while statistics provide us with critical information, the true impact of CVD is reflected in the countless moments lost and both the physical and emotional toll on families around the world.

That’s why we fund research at the University of Oxford, where lead investigator Professor Pawel Swietach and his colleagues are tackling this very challenge. The team is studying how heart health changes as we age and how subtle shifts in metabolism, influenced by diet and molecular chemistry within our cells, can make a substantial difference in how fast the heart ages and how well it performs, therefore dictating future cardiovascular risk. Understanding how the heart ages at the molecular level enables the team to directly track how specific dietary approaches slow, stabilize, or accelerate the age-related changes in cardiac function. One particularly significant finding of Professor Swietach’s team is how a molecule called methionine seems to speed up heart aging. By studying its function and testing how dietary changes can slow or even reverse its effects, the team is actively uncovering ways to keep hearts strong longer.

The Longevity Science Foundation’s ultimate goal is to extend the healthy human lifespan - years spent living in good health, also known as the healthspan, matter critically. The potential impact of stopping the illness and the damage it causes before it sets in is massive: some estimates suggest that eradicating CVD and heart-related complications could add more than a decade of healthy life. Yet, despite the scale of the problem, most research focuses on treating symptoms after they appear, rather than investigating the underlying causes and looking into how to prevent the disease in the first place. Our focus is to stop the damage before illness sets in.

Think of it like this: our hearts do not regenerate easily, and damage accumulates quietly over decades. The team at Oxford is examining the processes that contribute to heart aging, rather than just focusing on its symptoms. Their goal is to identify practical, non-invasive ways to mitigate heart disease, ranging from dietary changes to lifestyle interventions, thereby helping prevent problems before they occur. What sets Oxford’s approach apart is its rare mix of being genuinely groundbreaking yet simple enough to be put into practice. Instead of relying on surgery, expensive devices, or gene therapy, it targets diet and specific metabolic pathways, things we can change at scale. If dialing down methionine, or the processes it drives, slows the heart’s aging “clock,” that can be delivered as a nutrition plan, or a simple supplement-style routine. In other words, prevention doesn’t remain confined to elite clinics; it becomes something millions can access through everyday primary care.

The Longevity Science Foundation funds critical components of this work, while also supporting opportunities to train the next generation of longevity scientists. This grant reflects our focus on prevention, seeking actionable and accessible solutions. Supporting this research means playing an active role in redefining heart disease, preserving independence, and helping people remain active and vibrant for decades to come.