Therapeutic potential of phytochemical compounds in cardiovascular disease: a comprehensive review
TL;DR
Evidence now available indicates that phytochemicals may be beneficial supplements to traditional cardiovascular treatments, and more extensive clinical research is needed to determine their long-term efficacy and safety.
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to be the world's leading cause of death and a major global healthcare burden. Concerns about side effects and long-term therapy restrictions have raised interest in supplementary therapeutic approaches, even if traditional pharmaceutical and surgical procedures are still crucial to the management of CVD. Evidence from published experimental, clinical, and mechanistic investigations that were indexed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar between 2014 and 2025 is compiled in this review. Through their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, antihypertensive, and endothelial-protective properties, plant-derived phytochemicals such as flavonoids, carotenoids, polyphenols, glucosinolates, and sulfur-containing compounds have considerable cardioprotective potential. Vascular function, oxidative stress, platelet aggregation, insulin sensitivity, and lipid metabolism have all benefited by compounds like quercetin, catechins, curcumin, resveratrol, and lycopene. However, its therapeutic translation is still constrained by issues with bioavailability, dosage uniformity, and clinical validation. Although more extensive clinical research is needed to determine their long-term efficacy and safety, the evidence now available indicates that phytochemicals may be beneficial supplements to traditional cardiovascular treatments.