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Global Translational Medicine

REVIEW ARTICLE
Inflammation and cardiovascular disease

– Part II: Anti-inflammatory therapy in
cardiovascular disease

3
4
Tushar Menon 1 , Vipan Chahil , Dhruv Patel , Corina Grancorvitz , and
2
5
Krishnaswami Vijayraghavan *
1 Abrazo Healthcare, Glendale, Arizona, United States of America
2 Valley Hospital Medical Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America
3 HonorHealth Mountain Vista Medical Center, Mesa, Arizona, United States of America
4 Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals, Lexington, Massachusetts, United States of America
5 Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine-Phoenix, University of Arizona, Phoenix,
Arizona, United States of America
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Convergence of Cardiorenal Metabolic Disease: From
Epigenetics to End Stage)

Abstract

Inflammation plays a central role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular
diseases (ASCVDs), contributing to plaque progression, instability, and thrombosis.
Chronic systemic inflammation exacerbates endothelial dysfunction, promotes
oxidative stress, and accelerates atherogenesis, necessitating targeted interventions.
This review explores established and emerging strategies for modulating inflammation
*Corresponding author: to improve cardiovascular outcomes. Statin therapy remains foundational, with trials,
Krishnaswami Vijayraghavan such as JUPITER, demonstrating significant reductions in cardiovascular events through
(kvijay@email.arizona.edu) high-sensitivity C-reactive protein modulation, independent of low-density lipoprotein
Citation: Menon T, Chahil V, lowering. Non-statin lipid-lowering therapies, including proprotein convertase subtilisin/
Patel D, Grancorvitz C, kexin type 9 inhibitors, ezetimibe, and bempedoic acid, have shown additional anti-
Vijayraghavan K. Inflammation
and cardiovascular disease – inflammatory benefits and further reduce inflammation-driven cardiovascular risk. In
Part II: Anti-inflammatory therapy addition, triglyceride-lowering agents targeting apolipoprotein C-III and angiopoietin-
in cardiovascular disease. Global like protein pathways offer promising avenues for reducing metabolic inflammation
Transl Med. 2025;4(3):12-21.
doi: 10.36922/GTM025100024 and residual ASCVD risk. Anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapy has gained traction, with
trials such as canakinumab anti-inflammatory thrombosis outcomes study, colchicine
Received: March 6, 2025
cardiovascular outcomes trial, and low-dose colchicine underscoring the efficacy of
Revised: April 17, 2025 canakinumab and colchicine in reducing cardiovascular events. Emerging interleukin
Accepted: April 18, 2025 (IL) pathways (e.g., IL-17, IL-33, and IL-36) and novel therapeutic targets (e.g., cluster of
differentiation 47 inhibitors, serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 modulation, and
Published online: May 7, 2025
P-selectin blockade) present future opportunities for precision cardiovascular medicine.
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). However, residual inflammatory risk persists despite optimal lipid control, highlighting
This is an Open-Access article the need for a multimodal approach integrating lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, and
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution targeted immunomodulatory therapies. The expanding role of inflammation in ASCVD
License, permitting distribution, suggests a paradigm shift toward inflammation-guided treatment strategies. Further
and reproduction in any medium, research is warranted to refine patient selection, personalize therapy, and optimize
provided the original work is
properly cited. long-term outcomes for inflammation-driven cardiovascular disease.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with Keywords: Cardiovascular inflammation; Cardiovascular disease; Chronic kidney
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional disease; Inflammation-targeted therapies; Lipid-lowering therapy; PCSK9 inhibitors and
affiliations. inflammation reduction; ApoC-III and triglyceride-lowering therapies

Volume 4 Issue 3 (2025) 12 doi: 10.36922/GTM025100024