Topic: Cardiometabolic Drug Repurposing and Systemic Disease Burden

Cardiometabolic diseases are increasingly recognized as interconnected systemic disorders rather than isolated conditions, with obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) sharing common pathophysiological pathways and contributing to substantial disease burden. The recently introduced cardiovascular-kidney-liver-metabolic (CKLM) framework has created opportunities to repurpose well-established cardiometabolic therapies beyond their initial indications.

Emerging evidence suggests that agents such as incretin-based drugs, sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and lipid-lowering therapies may exert clinically relevant effects across multiple organs and systems. Understanding these pleiotropic effects may facilitate the development of more integrated, disease-modifying approaches to CKLM multimorbidity.

Objectives

This Special Issue aims to review the pathophysiological rationale, established clinical evidence, and emerging applications of cardiometabolic drug repurposing, with particular emphasis on systemic disease burden, target-organ protection and inter-organ crosstalk. It will also address current evidence gaps and priorities for future clinical and translational research.

Topics Covered

● Cardiometabolic drug repurposing and pleiotropic drug effects;

● GLP-1–based therapies and systemic organ protection;

● SGLT-2 inhibitors and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome;

● Cardiometabolic therapies in MASLD/MASH;

● Lipid-lowering and other established therapies beyond their conventional indications;

● Inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and inter-organ crosstalk;

● Drug repurposing in multimorbidity and target-organ damage;

● Future opportunities and challenges in cardiometabolic drug repurposing.

Target Audience

This Special Issue will be of interest to internists, cardiologists, endocrinologists, diabetologists, nephrologists, and clinical and translational researchers interested in cardiometabolic disease, drug repurposing, multimorbidity, and systemic target-organ damage.