Succinate metabolism in cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) refers to a class of diseases related to the heart or blood vessels that have high global incidence. Succinate is generally considered an important intermediate product of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Recent studies have shown that succinate is related to the pathophysiology of CVD, such as atherosclerosis, acute aortic dissection, hypertension, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, and heart failure. It may represent a potential target or biomarker for CVD. It has been demonstrated that succinate not only participates in various energy metabolic pathways but also plays an important role in various pathophysiological activities as a signaling molecule. Given the significance of metabolism in CVD, it is important to focus on the metabolic regulation mechanism of succinate in CVD. This review outlines the latest evidence pointing to the potential role of succinate in CVD, along with its mechanisms, and updates the current understanding on the role of succinate in CVD. Further studies may focus on identifying succinate, its receptor, and its downstream signaling molecules as new targets for the prevention and treatment of CVD.