Iron metabolism and cardiovascular disease: Basic to translational purviews and therapeutical approach

Abstract

Iron interactions with the cardiovascular system were proposed about half a century ago, yet a clear-cut understanding of this micronutrient and its intricacies with acute and chronic events is still lacking. In chronic heart failure, patients with decreased iron stores appear to benefit from intravenous administration of metallic formulations, whereas acute diseases (e.g., myocardial infarction, stroke) are barely studied in randomized controlled trials in humans. However, proof-of-concept studies have indicated that the dual redox characteristics of iron could be involved in atherosclerosis, necrosis, and ferroptosis. To this end, we sought to review the currently available body of literature pertaining to these temporal profiles of heart diseases, as well as the pathophysiologic mechanism by which iron enacts, underlining key points related to treatment options.

Keywords: Chelation; Enfarte do miocárdio; Ferroptose; Ferroptosis; Heart failure; Insuficiência cardíaca; Iron metabolism; Metabolismo do ferro; Myocardial infarction; Quelação.