Several clinical trials and animal studies have shown the cardioprotective action exerted by natural active compounds, highlighting the cardioprotective role of lycopene and glucans, the antiarrhythmic effect exerted by quercetin, the beneficial properties of magnesium, the lipid-lowering action of fish oil, and the antioxidant activity of tocopherol.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death in the western world accounting for >17 million deaths per year in men and women, with one-third of female deaths due to ischemic heart disease and stroke. It is now widely accepted that gender has great relevance in CVD pathophysiology, due to increasing evidence supporting that an individual's gender is one of the most important nonmodifiable risk factors in CVD health. Gender differences are present in numerous cardiovascular diseases such as cardiac ischemic diseases, heart failure, and stroke and influence many causes of CV diseases, starting with risk factors. In particular, there are risk factors that are unique for women such as those related to pregnancy and reproduction, for example, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and menarche/menopause. Regarding the natural history of coronary artery diseases, it is well known that women are more likely than men to present with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and with nonobstructive syndromes. Women also report atypical symptoms such as jaw pain and nausea significantly more than men.

Primary prevention of CVD includes lifestyle changes such as nutrition, eating behavior, and the use of botanical supplements, which are predominantly used in women rather than men. Here, it is important to focus on the effect of botanical supplements standardized in natural active compounds, bearing in mind the possible influence of sex on their pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety profile.

In this special issue, we focus our attention on the use of botanical supplements (nutrients and/or bioactive compounds of plant or microbial origin with potentially healthful effects) for primary and secondary prevention of CVD in men and in women discussing their efficacy and safety profile. We welcome original research and review articles.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Role of a Mediterranean diet in the onset and/or progression of cardiovascular disease in men and women
• Cardiovascular risk profile and eating habits in men and women
• Beneficial effects and safety profile of polyphenol and/or minor polar compounds in cardiovascular diseases in men and women
• Bioactive molecular effects on pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases including oxidative stress in men and women
• Possible beneficial effects of omega-3 and omega-6 and their ratio on cardiovascular diseases in men and women