Curcumin - The Nutraceutical With Pleiotropic Effects? Which Cardiometabolic Subjects Might Benefit the Most?

Despite continuous advances in pharmacotherapy, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains the world's leading killer. Atherosclerosis relates not only to an increased level of cholesterol, but involves the development of atherosclerotic plaques, which are formed as a result of processes including inflammation and oxidative stress. Therefore, in addition to the classical risk factors for ASCVD (such as type 2 diabetes, overweight, obesity, hypertension and metabolic syndrome), residual risk factors such as inflammation and oxidative stress should also be reduced. The most important intervention in ASCVD is prevention, which includes promoting a healthy diet based on products of natural origin. Curcumin, which is often present in the diet, has been demonstrate to confer several benefits to health. It has been shown in numerous clinical trials that curcumin exhibited anti-diabetic, lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as promoting weight loss. All this means that curcumin has a comprehensive impact on the most important risk factors of ASCVD and may be a beneficial support in the treatment of these diseases. Recently, it has also been shown that curcumin may have a beneficial effect on the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and might be helpful in the prevention of long-COVID complications. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the safety and efficacy of curcumin in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic diseases.

Challenges and Opportunities on Lipid Metabolism Disorders Diagnosis and Therapy: Novel Insights and Future Perspective.

Dyslipidemia has been globally recognized, for almost seven decades, as one of the most important risk factors for the development and complications of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) [...].

Effects of statins on myocarditis: A review of underlying molecular mechanisms.

Myocarditis refers to the clinical and histological characteristics of a diverse range of inflammatory cellular pathophysiological conditions which result in cardiac dysfunction. Myocarditis is a major cause of mortality in individuals less than 40 years of age and accounts for approximately 20% of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. Myocarditis contributes to dilated cardiomyopathy in 30% of patients and can progress to cardiac arrest, which has a poor prognosis of <40% survival over 10 years. Myocarditis has also been documented after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The most commonly used lipid-lowering therapies, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), decrease CVD-related morbidity and mortality. In addition to their lipid-lowering effects, increasing evidence supports the existence of several additional beneficial, 'pleiotropic' effects of statins. Recently, several studies have indicated that statins may attenuate myocarditis. Statins modify the lipid oxidation, inflammation, immunomodulation, and endothelial activity of the pathophysiology and have been recommended as adjuvant treatment. In this review, we focus on the mechanisms of action of statins and their effects on myocarditis, SARS-CoV-2 and CVD.

Brief recommendations on the management of adult patients with familial hypercholesterolemia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Individuals with Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) are at very high risk of cardiovascular disease, which is associated with poor outcomes from coronavirus infections. COVID-19 puts strain on healthcare systems and may impair access to routine FH services. On behalf of the International Lipid Expert Panel (ILEP) and the European FH Patient Network (FH Europe), we present brief recommendations on the management of adult patients with FH during the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss the implications of COVID-19 infections for FH patients, the importance of continuing lipid-lowering therapy where possible, issues relating to safety monitoring and service delivery. We summarise the evidence for additional benefits of statins and other lipid-lowering drugs during viral infections. The recommendations do not override in any way the individual responsibility of physicians to make appropriate and accurate decisions taking into account the condition of a given patient and the doses, rules, and regulations applicable to drugs and devices at the time of their prescription/use.