Integrative epidemiology and multi-omics reveal a frailty-associated ACKR1 redox axis linking cadmium exposure to atherosclerosis.

ABSTRACT: Chronic cadmium (Cd) exposure is increasingly associated with elevated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk; however, the redox-dependent mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly defined. Epidemiological evidence indicates that frailty acts as a biological amplifier of Cd-related cardiovascular vulnerability, characterized by heightened oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. To elucidate these mechanisms, we focused on atherosclerosis-the pathological hallmark of CVD-and integrated population-based analyses with multi-omics approaches. Mendelian randomization confirmed a potential causal relationship between Cd exposure and CVD risk. Spatial and single-cell transcriptomic profiling of atherosclerotic tissues revealed that Cd exposure and frailty signatures we

SUBMITTER: Zhang K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12874279 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature