NAD+ Deficiency in Age-Related Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Age-related mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to contribute to mammalian aging, particularly in post-mitotic tissues that rely heavily on oxidative phosphorylation. A new study (Gomes et al., 2013) shows that reduced levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) contribute to the mitochondrial decay associated with skeletal muscle aging and that sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) modulates this process.