The Emerging Role of Mechanobiology in Connecting Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases: From Fundamentals to Future Therapies

Mechanobiology has emerged as a unifying framework for understanding how mechanical forces and tissue physical properties regulate cellular function, metabolism, and disease progression. Mechanical forces are fundamental regulators of cellular behaviour and tissue homeostasis. Growing evidence indicates that disturbances in mechanobiological signalling contribute to both metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases, two highly prevalent and interrelated groups of conditions. This review aims to synthesize current evidence on mechanobiological mechanisms linking metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular pathology, with particular emphasis on shared pathways involved in tissue remodelling, inflammation, and disease progression. Shared pathogenic mechanisms, including chronic low-grade inflammation, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress, and lipotoxicity, further reinforce the bidirectional relationship between metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. Moreover, advances in mechanobiological imaging and the usage of mechanobiological biomarkers are more commonly regarded as promising tools for early detection of the disease and risk stratification. It is worth mentioning that targeting mechanosensitive pathways may support the development of personalised diagnostic strategies and novel therapeutic approaches addressing both metabolic and cardiovascular components of disease, which may result in a breakthrough.