Lymphocyte Subset Imbalance in Cardiometabolic Diseases: Are T Cells the Missing Link?

Cardiometabolic and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death worldwide, with well-established risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and diabetes contributing to plaque formation and chronic inflammation. However, emerging evidence suggests that the immune system plays a more significant role in the development and progression of CVD than previously thought. Specifically, the finely tuned regulation of lymphocyte subsets governs post-injury inflammation and tissue damage resolution and orchestrates the functions and activation of endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, and fibroblasts in CVD-associated lesions (e.g., atherosclerotic plaques). A deeper understanding of the immune system’s involvement in CVD development and progression will provide new insights into disease biology and uncover novel therapeutic targets aimed at re-establishing immune homeostasis. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on the distribution and involvement of lymphocyte subsets in CVD, including atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, myocardial infarction, and stroke.