1 INTRODUCTION Heart aging is characterized by several pathological features, including reduced contractility and metabolic efficiency, cardiac fibrosis, and cardiac hypertrophy (Lazzeroni et al., 2022; Wessells & Bodmer, 2007; Yan et al., 2021). These pathological changes contribute to the progressive decline in cardiac function associated with aging, thereby increasing the risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases (Dai et al., 2014; North & Sinclair, 2012).
