Despite the efforts towards primary prevention, cardiovascular diseases are yet the most common causes of death and one of the first causes of disability in industrialized countries. Numerous studies show a tight link between systemic oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferation, endothelial cells dysfunctions (EC), macrophages differentiation and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, hypertension, and other cardiometabolic disorders such as obesity, hyperglycemia, diabetes type II, and metabolic syndrome.

The most cost-effective preventive approach still remains diet and physical activity, also in people without a history of cardiovascular disease. However, lifestyle programs are often difficult to follow for long periods of time and changes in dietary habits and physical activity sometimes are not enough to reduce risk parameters, such as hypercholesterolemia. On the other hand, a relatively large number of dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, phytochemicals, and functional foods have been studied for their ability to improve blood lipid profile in humans and to protect cells from oxidative stress and from damage related to inflammatory conditions. The scientific community has recognized their effectiveness since in 2001, during the third National Cholesterol Educational Program, it has been suggested to integrate dietary supplements such as soluble fibers, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), plant sterols, and soy protein in the diet in order to achieve an optimal Low Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (LDL-C) level. Similarly, in the new European guidelines for the management of dyslipidemia (A. L. Catapano et al. ESC/EAS Guidelines for the Management of Dyslipidaemias. The Task Force for the Management of Dyslipidaemias of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS). Atherosclerosis, 2011, 217(1), 3-46) some nutraceuticals were added as potentially useful for lipid-lowering agents. Since the prevention of cardiometabolic disorders needs an everyday approach, both the tolerability and safety of dietary supplements, either nutraceuticals or botanicals, have to be adequately defined, as well as understanding the precise mechanisms of actions and the risk/benefit ratio related to their assumption.

In this special issue, we invite investigators to contribute original research articles reporting data from both experimental and clinical studies, as well as review articles, which provide a better understanding of the effects of dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, phytochemicals, and functional foods on cardiovascular diseases linked to oxidative stress and inflammation.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Evaluation in vitro or in vivo studies, animals and humans, of the safety and the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the actions of natural compounds in relation to ROS-mediated signaling and redox modulation, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction
• Physicochemical characterization of natural extracts with analytical methods in order to have a direct bearing on the effects, mechanisms, or uses of these compounds, or the development of new drug targets
• Bioanalytical methods and biosensors for the determination of the biological effects of these substances
• Nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics, and potential effect on the intestinal microbiome