Aging is the predominant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (1) and contributes to a significantly more severe outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction (2). This risk is partly attributable to an age-related decline in the ability of vascular cells to resist stress and effectively remodel the arterial wall. Vascular smooth muscle cells are particularly important in this regard. Strategies to prevent premature senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells could represent an effective approach to reduce vascular disease. Over the past decade, dietary supplementation with the plant-derived polyphenol resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene) has emerged as a promising approach to counteract age-induced pro-atherogenic phenotypic changes in the vasculature. Resveratrol has been shown to have significant anti-aging action in vertebrates (3). The gene expression patterns induced by resveratrol resembled those induced by calorie restriction (CR) and delayed aging-related deterioration (4). Both resveratrol and CR have beneficial effects in various models of mammalian aging etc...