Cardiovascular Diseases: Exploring Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Risk Factors, and Medicinal Plant‐Based Therapies: A Narrative Review

Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: Epidemiology, Screening, Prevention, and Therapeutic Interventions

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the burden is particularly severe in low‐income and middle‐income countries. Although traditional risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and smoking have been well established, new research evidence indicates that inflammation, environmental exposure, psychological and social stress, gut microbiota, and genetic susceptibility play a crucial role in shaping the risk profile of CVDs. This review comprehensively summarizes the epidemiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, screening strategies, prevention, and treatment interventions of CVDs throughout the disease development process. Special emphasis is placed on the integration of multiomics methods, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital health technologies (including wearable devices and AI‐enhanced electrocardiograms), which are transforming risk prediction and personalized prevention approaches. We also summarize current preclinical and clinical evidence, including ongoing trials, and discuss implementation differences in different socioeconomic environments. Despite significant progress, there are still many challenges in translating new biomarkers and technologies into scalable and equitable clinical applications. This review identifies key knowledge gaps and proposes future directions toward precision cardiovascular medicine, aiming to combine mechanistic insights with practical applications, ultimately reducing the burden of CVDs globally.

Polyphenols and Cardiovascular Diseases: Molecular Insights and Nutraceutical Advances

Therapeutic Advancement in Cardiovascular Disorders: Molecular Mechanisms, Emerging Targets and Translational Perspectives

Cardiovascular disorders (CVD) have been addressed as the leading cause of global mortality and morbidity which majorly includes atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. Its pathogenesis involves various interconnected molecular mechanisms such as endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, mitochondrial impairment, lipid dysregulation, fibrosis and genetic alterations. The conventional pharmacological strategy of CVD includes statins, beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers and antiplatelet agents. Clinically, though these medications have provided substantial improved outcomes but its long-term usage has been frequently associated with drug resistance, hepatotoxicity, myopathy, renal dysfunction, bleeding risk and residual cardiovascular events. Moreover, these primarily target symptomatic and hemodynamic abnormalities rather than the underlying molecular pathology. Recent advances in molecular cardiology and translational medicine have facilitated the development of targeted therapeutic strategies that primarily aims to overcome these limitations. Specifically, targeting dysregulated lipid pathophysiology, stains utilization has evolved to PCSK9 inhibitors and small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based therapeutics, such as inclisiran. Precision medication strategy has made the use of RNA therapeutics and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated which enable precise regulation of disease-associated genes. Regenerative stem cell therapies, on the other hand promoted myocardial repair and angiogenesis, while nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems improved therapeutic specificity and bioavailability. In parallel to this, AI-assisted precision cardiology has enabled early diagnosis, risk stratification, and individualized treatment planning strategies. However, despite these advances, challenges related to safety, delivery efficacy, ethical concerns and expense remain the major barriers to widespread clinical translation of these therapeutic advancements in cardiac patients. Keywords: Cardiovascular disorders, Conventional cardiac-therapeutics, PCSK9 inhibitors

Obesity and Cardiovascular Diseases: CVIA State-of-the-Art Review

Obesity, given its strong association with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), is a major global public health issue attracting increasing attention. This comprehensive review systematically synthesizes clinical and basic research progress in elucidating the complex relationship between obesity and CVDs. We explore the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and management strategies for obesity-related CVDs. Drawing on recent studies, we highlight the effects of obesity on atherosclerotic disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, arrhythmias, hypertension, and venous thromboembolism. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies to decrease the cardiovascular burden associated with obesity. Furthermore, this review summarizes current therapeutic approaches for obesity-related CVDs, such as lifestyle interventions, pharmacotherapy, and metabolic surgery, and discusses future research directions, including precision medicine, exploration of novel therapeutic targets, and single-cell spatiotemporal omics.

Therapeutic potential of phytochemical compounds in cardiovascular disease: a comprehensive review

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to be the world's leading cause of death and a major global healthcare burden. Concerns about side effects and long-term therapy restrictions have raised interest in supplementary therapeutic approaches, even if traditional pharmaceutical and surgical procedures are still crucial to the management of CVD. Evidence from published experimental, clinical, and mechanistic investigations that were indexed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar between 2014 and 2025 is compiled in this review. Through their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, and endothelial-protective properties, plant-derived phytochemicals such as flavonoids, carotenoids, polyphenols, glucosinolates, and sulfur-containing compounds have considerable cardioprotective potential. Vascular function, oxidative stress, platelet aggregation, insulin sensitivity, and lipid metabolism have all benefited by compounds like quercetin, catechins, curcumin, resveratrol, and lycopene. However, its therapeutic translation is still constrained by issues with bioavailability, dosage uniformity, and clinical validation. Although more extensive clinical research is needed to determine their long-term efficacy and safety, the evidence now available indicates that phytochemicals may be beneficial supplements to traditional cardiovascular treatments.

Recalibrating Risk: A Call for South Asian-Focused Heart Failure Prediction Models

Background: Heart failure (HF) represents the final common pathway of diverse cardiovascular disorders, including coronary artery disease, primary myocardial pathology, and abnormalities of cardiac conduction. These conditions arise from an interplay of genetic, environmental, and psychosocial influences, making it essential to understand these determinants to improve risk prediction and prevention. Multiple biological pathways of inflammation, fibrosis, coagulation, oxidative stress, lipid dysregulation, endothelial dysfunction, and metabolic disturbances are shaped by inherited susceptibility and modifiable exposures. Together, these mechanisms drive HF development and progression, though their relative contributions vary across populations. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for clinical, biomedical, and interdisciplinary studies published between 1 January 2000, and 31 December 2025. Keywords included “Asian,” “adult,” “India,” “heart failure,” “risk assessment,” “prognosis,” and “predictive value.” Studies were included if they focused on South Asian Indian adults, with priority given to original research, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Pediatric studies and those centered on other ethnic groups were excluded. Results: Among South Asian Indians, cardiovascular disease burden remains disproportionately high compared with Western populations. Unique genetic architecture, environmental exposures, and sociocultural factors appear to contribute to earlier onset and more aggressive disease. Identifying population-specific genetic variants, clarifying psychosocial influences, and addressing environmental risks may help reduce these disparities. Conclusions: This qualitative review highlights key gaps in current knowledge. A deeper understanding of these determinants could refine HF risk stratification, guide targeted prevention strategies, and reduce the growing cardiovascular burden in South Asian Indians. There is an urgent need for South Asian specific HF risk prediction models.