Relationship Between Insulin Resistance/Hyperinsulinemia and the Development of Atherosclerosis/Arteriosclerosis as the Cause of Cardiovascular Diseases

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Endocrinology and Metabolism Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 671

Special Issue Editor

Serra Húnter Fellow, Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Interests: cardiovascular diseases; epidemiology; eHealth; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death in Western countries. Their common basis are adverse structural and functional changes within vascular walls, specifically atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis, which tend to coexist, causing progressive, diffuse, and age-related deterioration in all vascular beds. Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory and degenerative process that mainly occurs in large- and medium-sized arteries, and is morphologically characterized by asymmetric focal thickenings of the innermost layer of the artery, known as the intima. Arteriosclerosis refers to the degenerative stiffness in the arterial beds, defined as the reduced capability of an artery to expand and contract in response to pressure changes. The scope of this Special Issue is to unravel the associations between insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia and atherosclerosis in the development of cardiovascular diseases from a molecular point of view to a population perspective.

Dr. Maria Grau
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • atherosclerosis
  • arteriosclerosis
  • insulin resistance
  • hyperinsulinemia
  • cardiovascular diseases
  • carotid artery diseases
  • coronary artery disease
  • peripheral vascular diseases

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

25 pages, 1297 KiB  
Review
Atherosclerosis and Insulin Resistance: Is There a Link Between Them?
by Alina Diduța Brie, Ruxandra Maria Christodorescu, Roxana Popescu, Ovidiu Adam, Alexandru Tîrziu and Daniel Miron Brie
Biomedicines 2025, 13(6), 1291; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13061291 - 23 May 2025
Viewed by 200
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in regions like Eastern Europe, South Asia, and Latin America. A significant portion of these cases (80%) is linked to atherosclerosis, which can lead to severe conditions like ischemic heart disease [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in regions like Eastern Europe, South Asia, and Latin America. A significant portion of these cases (80%) is linked to atherosclerosis, which can lead to severe conditions like ischemic heart disease and stroke, with atherosclerosis (ATS) responsible for the majority of cases. This review explores the multifaceted relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and ATS, highlighting their roles as both independent and interrelated contributors to cardiovascular risk. ATS is characterized by lipid accumulation and chronic inflammation within arterial walls, driven by factors such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and genetic predisposition, with endothelial dysfunction as a key early event. The early detection of subclinical ATS is critical and can be achieved through a combination of non-invasive imaging techniques—such as coronary artery calcium scoring and carotid ultrasound—and comprehensive risk profiling. IR, marked by impaired glucose uptake in liver, muscle, and adipose tissue, often precedes early diabetes and is associated with metabolic disturbances, including dyslipidemia and chronic inflammation. The diagnosis of IR relies on surrogate indices such as HOMA-IR, the QUICKI, and the TyG index, which facilitate screening in clinical practice. Compelling evidence indicates that IR independently predicts the progression of atherosclerotic plaques, even in non-diabetic individuals, and operates through both traditional risk factors and direct vascular effects. Understanding and targeting the IR–ATS axis is essential for the effective prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. Full article
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