Although there are thought to several key drivers to aging pathologies and disease, glutamate over excitation is a central contributor to tissue damage following ischemic stroke (Choi and Rothman, 1990; Moskowitz et al., 2010), it is likely that the age-related loss of IGF-1 may compromise the neuro-glio-vascular unit by weakening the glutamate-buffering capabilities of astrocytes which ultimately exacerbates calcium imbalances, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. Here, IGF1 is linked to ischemic stroke.