Osto, Elena

Abstract Metabolic disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidaemia are major drivers of cardiovascular risk and have reached epidemic levels in Western populations. Recent advances in clinical research have uncovered unexpected and often beneficial effects of pharmacological classes of metabolic drugs on cardiovascular outcomes, revealing complex interactions between metabolism and cardiac pathology. Despite their clinical efficacy, the molecular and cellular mechanisms through which many of these agents act remain only partially understood. This gap in knowledge underscores the urgent need for fundamental research that not only dissects the biology of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease but also reveals the mechanistic basis of existing and emerging therapies, thereby enabling rational therapeutic development. This scientific statement, developed by researchers from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science and several ESC Working Groups, provides a state-of-the-art overview of the emerging molecular and cellular pathways linking metabolic abnormalities with vascular and cardiac disease. By illuminating these critical connections and unresolved questions, this article aims to catalyse innovation in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease in the context of metabolic dysfunction and to suggest new directions for future research.

Abstract The advent of single-cell biology opens a new chapter for understanding human biological processes and for diagnosing, monitoring, and treating disease. This revolution now reaches the field of cardiovascular disease (CVD). New technologies to interrogate CVD samples at single-cell resolution are allowing the identification of novel cell communities that are important in shaping disease development and direct towards new therapeutic strategies. These approaches have begun to revolutionize atherosclerosis pathology and redraw our understanding of disease development. This review discusses the state-of-the-art of single-cell analysis of atherosclerotic plaques, with a particular focus on human lesions, and presents the current resolution of cellular subpopulations and their heterogeneity and plasticity in relation to clinically relevant features. Opportunities and pitfalls of current technologies as well as the clinical impact of single-cell technologies in CVD patient care are highlighted, advocating for multidisciplinary and international collaborative efforts to join the cellular dots of CVD.