Autoimmune Disease of the Cardiovascular System Publisher



Shafie D¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Translational Autoimmunity: Autoimmune Disease Associated with Different Clinical Features Published:2022

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the world’s leading causes of mortality. The role of autoimmunity in CVDs has long been a topic of interest in the clinic and research laboratories. Therefore, it is proposed that there is not a tight little box of cardiovascular risk factors that we can solely rely on, whereas CVDs are probable even among nonsmokers, nonobese, and individuals without high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes mellitus. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the biological link between autoimmunity and essential forms of CVDs such as rheumatic heart disease (RHD), myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), as well as some types of vasculitis. However, atherosclerosis, postpericardiotomy syndrome, postmyocardial infarction syndrome, Chagas disease, and cardiac channelopathies are sometimes cited as instances of an autoimmune response. On the other hand, approximately 10% of healthy individuals may develop CVDs without traditional risk factors. These findings insist that CVDs are a complex issue, and there is no single solution to prevent or cure them. Consequently, to prevent CVDs and reduce complications, physicians must tackle them with a systemic approach that considers several factors, including physiology, genetic, inflammation, nutrition, and environmental factors. In this regard, the role of autoimmunity should be considered more than before. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.