Diet, Obesity and Cardiovascular Health: Molecular Mechanisms, Clinical Evidence and Future Perspectives

Background

Obesity and unhealthy dietary habits are among the leading modifiable determinants of cardiovascular disease, acting through biological mechanisms that extend far beyond excess body weight. Adipose tissue dysfunction, chronic low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial impairment, mitochondrial dysfunction, and gut microbiota dysbiosis contribute to the development and progression of cardiometabolic disease. Consequently, nutrition should be regarded as a key biological modulator of cardiovascular risk, capable of influencing multiple interconnected metabolic and molecular pathways.