One of the greatest challenges in biology is to improve the understanding of the mechanisms which underpin
aging and how these affect health. The need to better understand aging is amplified by demographic changes,
which have caused a gradual increase in the global population of older people. Aging western populations
have resulted in a rise in the prevalence of age-related pathologies. Of these diseases, cardiovascular disease is
the most common underlying condition in older people. The dysregulation of lipid metabolism due to aging impinges
significantly on cardiovascular health.However, themultifaceted nature of lipidmetabolismand the complexities
of its interaction with aging make it challenging to understand by conventional means. To address this
challenge computational modeling, a key component of the systems biology paradigmis being used to study the
dynamics of lipid metabolism. This mini-reviewbriefly outlines the key regulators of lipid metabolism, their dysregulation,
and how computational modeling is being used to gain an increased insight into this system.
© 2014 . Mc Auley and Mooney. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of the Research Network of Computational
and Structural Biotechnology.