BACKGROUND: Deregulated proteostasis leading to accumulation of misfolded proteins, electron-dense aggregates (lipofuscin, LF), desmin preamyloid oligomers (PAOs), and proteotoxic stress is a hallmark of aging. Here, we investigate changes in proteostasis with aging, in the context of a chronic cardiac cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent stress in a mouse model with specific cardiac over-expression of adenylyl cyclase VIII (TGAC8). METHODS: Protein quality control (PQC) mechanisms (ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy), including mitophagy, were evaluated in left ventricles (LVs) at young age (3-4 months) and later in life (18-21 months). Autophagy flux was measured in response to the lysosomotropic drug chloroquine (CQ). Protein synthesis was assessed according to the SUnSET method (puromycin). RESULTS: At 3 months of age, established autophagy markers such as the microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), p62, and their phospho-forms were modulated accordingly to a scenario of more efficient autophagy, with a faster flux. Lysosome performance (cathepsin L1 activity) was also significantly increased, confirming higher cargo degradation capacity and upregulated proteostasis at 3 months. With age, however, a maladaptive marker-specific accelerated flux (LC3A, p62), in the context of a slower autophagy flux, led to aggresome buildup. Furthermore, although the mitophagy receptors PARKIN, p62-S403, p62-S349, and FKBP8 remained all upregulated, old TGAC8 mice markedly portrayed a phenotype with impaired mitophagy, accumulation of lipofuscin (LF) bodies of aberrant sizes and brownish-to black pigment. Finally, cardiac preamyloid oligomers (PAOs) were significantly increased, and the structural protein desmin, cleaved and tagged for ubiquitination. In contrast, protein synthesis decreased as occurs in normal aging. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that proteostasis maintains cardiac health at young age (3-4months), but a lifetime exposure to chronic pathophysiologic states that increase cardiac ubiquitination and stress, by sustained activation of the AC/cAMP/PKA/Ca2+ axis, more severely dysregulate proteostasis, compared to normal aging, ultimately leading to proteostasis insufficiency, and accelerated cardiac aging.