Iron is essential for many biological processes. Inadequate or excess amount of body iron can result in various pathological consequences. The pathological roles of iron in cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been intensively studied for decades. Convincing data demonstrated a detrimental effect of iron deficiency in patients with heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension, but it remains unclear for the pathological roles of iron in other cardiovascular diseases. Meanwhile, ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death that is distinct from apoptosis, necroptosis, and other types of cell death. Ferroptosis has been reported in several CVDs, namely, cardiomyopathy, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Iron chelation therapy seems to be an available strategy to ameliorate iron overload-related disorders. It is still a challenge to accurately clarify the pathological roles of iron in CVD and search for effective medical intervention. In this review, we aim to summarize the pathological roles of iron in CVD, and especially highlight the potential mechanism of ferroptosis in these diseases.

铁是许多生物过程必不可少的。体内铁含量不足或过量会导致各种病理后果。几十年来，铁在心血管疾病 (CVD) 中的病理作用已得到深入研究。令人信服的数据表明缺铁对心力衰竭和肺动脉高压患者有不利影响，但铁在其他心血管疾病中的病理作用仍不清楚。同时，铁死亡是一种铁依赖性细胞死亡，与细胞凋亡、坏死性凋亡和其他类型的细胞死亡不同。已经报道了几种 CVD 中的铁死亡，即心肌病、动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病和心肌缺血/再灌注损伤。铁螯合疗法似乎是改善铁过载相关疾病的一种可行策略。准确阐明铁在心血管疾病中的病理作用并寻求有效的医学干预仍然是一个挑战。在这篇综述中，我们旨在总结铁在 CVD 中的病理作用，特别强调铁死亡在这些疾病中的潜在机制。