The Controversial Role of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency on Cardiovascular Disease: A Narrative Review

Figure 3

Main mechanisms underlying vascular damage in G6PD deficiency. G6PD deficiency may act as a cardiovascular risk factor by activating a number of mechanisms that involve numerous cell types and tissues, such as triggering an inflammatory response in monocytes/macrophages and endothelial cells, causing hemolysis in red blood cells with the release of membrane fragments and free hemoglobin that activate the coagulation cascade and platelets aggregation.