Environmental Exposure and Its Effects on Cardio-Respiratory and Metabolic Health

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Endocrinology and Clinical Metabolic Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 730

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
Interests: atherosclerosis; diabetes; dementia; inflammation; oxidative stress

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Guest Editor
School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Interests: cardiovascular disease; respiratory disease; oncology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Abundant epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory studies indicate that environmental exposure also plays an important role in the occurrence, and development, of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It has been reported that the morbidity and mortality of CVD are attributable to environmental factors every year. Environmental exposure encompasses a broad range of factors, including but not limited to air pollution, toxic chemicals, dietary habits, and lifestyle, which factors. These exposures can disrupt metabolic processes, contributing to CVD onset and progression. The complex and varied mechanisms through which environmental factors cause cardiometabolic dysregulation include inflammation and oxidative stress. However, an incomplete mechanistic understanding of the basis of these associations remains. 

This Metabolites Special Issue, titled “Environmental Exposure and Its Effects on Cardio-Respiratory and Metabolic Health”, aims to gather current research findings, review emerging trends, and propose novel insights into how environmental factors influence the metabolic pathways linked to cardiovascular health and disease outcomes. All research topics are welcome, including but not limited to the identification of novel biomarkers, mechanisms insights, epidemiological perspectives, and intervention strategies. This collection will inspire, inform, and provide direction and guidance to researchers in this field.

Dr. Kristine McGrath
Dr. Tatt Jhong Haw
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • environmental factors
  • pollution
  • cardiovascular
  • cardiometabolic risk factor
  • biomarkers
  • mechanisms
  • cardio-oncology
  • cardio-respiratory

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1915 KiB  
Article
Preliminary Study to Understand the Role of Gut Microbiota in Coronary Slow Flow Phenomenon (CSFP)
by Tayfun Gurol, Tayyip Karaman, Yesim Gurol, Osman Ugur Sezerman and Sinem Oktem Okullu
Metabolites 2025, 15(7), 475; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15070475 - 14 Jul 2025
Viewed by 364
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP) is a cardiovascular condition characterized by delayed passage of contrast medium through the coronary arteries, predominantly affecting young male smokers admitted with acute coronary syndrome. Although over 80% of patients experience recurrent chest pain and more than [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP) is a cardiovascular condition characterized by delayed passage of contrast medium through the coronary arteries, predominantly affecting young male smokers admitted with acute coronary syndrome. Although over 80% of patients experience recurrent chest pain and more than 20% require readmission, the etiology of CSFP remains poorly understood. Given the emerging role of gut microbiome in cardiovascular diseases, this study investigates the microbial composition associated with CSFP. Methods: Stool samples were collected from patients diagnosed with CSFP and healthy control individuals. Microbiota profiling was performed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Taxonomic differences were evaluated to identify microbial markers potentially associated with CSFP. Results: The analysis revealed a notable enrichment of the genus Gemmiger and the species Anaerobutyricum in CSFP patients, specifically within the selenium metabolism pathway. This is of particular interest given the established link between selenium deficiency and heightened cardiovascular risk, suggesting a possible microbiome-mediated modulation of selenium bioavailability in CSFP pathophysiology. Moreover, a marked increase in taxa associated with the biosynthesis of trimethylamine (TMA), a proatherogenic metabolite implicated in the onset and progression of various cardiovascular disorders, was observed in the CSFP cohort, further supporting a potential mechanistic role of gut microbiota in the disease’s underlying etiology. Conclusions: Although statistical significance could not be established due to the limited sample size, the observed trends support the hypothesis that specific gut microbes and metabolic pathways, particularly those linked to selenium metabolism and TMA production, may serve as potential microbial indicators for CSFP. These preliminary findings warrant further investigation in larger cohorts. Full article
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