We are honored to introduce Cardiovascular Science (CVS), a new open-access journal offering a scholarly platform and an interactive forum for disseminating groundbreaking research encompassing all aspects of heart and blood vessel physiology and pathology.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), encompassing a range of conditions like coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, abnormal heart rhythm, congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, carditis, aortic aneurysm, peripheral artery disease, thromboembolic disease, and venous thrombosis, remain the foremost cause of mortality worldwide. The World Heart Report 2023 by the World Heart Federation indicates that CVDs accounted for approximately one-third of global deaths, totaling 20.5 million in that year. In China, CVDs represented 48.00% and 45.86% of deaths in rural and urban settings, respectively, in 2020. Particularly concerning is the escalating prevalence of CVDs in low-income nations, where they add to existing health burdens, creating a dual challenge with communicable diseases and undernutrition, while also facing a surge in non-communicable diseases like CVDs and type 2 diabetes.
Despite a reduction in the global burden of CVDs over the past five decades, due to effective primary and secondary prevention strategies, recent trends suggest a stagnation or even reversal in this progress. This shift can likely be attributed to increased life expectancy, prolonged exposure to both traditional and emerging risk factors, and a decline in lifestyle quality. However, the advent of high-throughput genotyping and omics techniques, including proteomics, metabolomics, and single-cell sequencing, has opened new avenues for exploring the underlying mechanisms of CVDs and other complex disorders. The field of CVDs is witnessing transformative changes, with new theories, diagnostic approaches, and therapeutic strategies emerging rapidly. We find ourselves in a pivotal era, marked by both the escalating challenge of CVDs and the exhilarating pace of biomedical innovation. This dichotomy has spurred the creation of our new journal, designed as a collegial platform to encourage collaboration among researchers from various disciplines, all united by their commitment to advancing cardiology and vascular biology research.
This new journal, a peer-reviewed, open-access international publication, extends its call for original research articles, case reports, meta-analyses, research highlights, comments, and reviews from global professionals and researchers in cardiovascular science. Emphasizing both basic and clinical research, the journal invites contributions across a spectrum including cardiovascular remodeling, cardiac diseases, thrombosis and haemostasis, vascular biology and inflammation, as well as imaging and technological advancements. Our mission is to publish innovative and thought-stimulating work, fostering a rich intellectual environment to catalyze collaborations that accelerate knowledge advancement and the translation of basic research into clinical practice. This aligns with our goal of informing diagnosis, treatment, prevention strategies for CVDs, and providing insights for policy formulation.
I extend my deepest appreciation to the esteemed members of the editorial board, whose insightful recommendations and dedicated efforts have been pivotal in establishing this journal. My heartfelt thanks also go to our authors, referees, and readers, whose enthusiasm, trust, and contributions are fundamental to the journal's development. The editorial team and I are committed to ensuring that every manuscript is processed with efficiency and transparency, from initial assessment through peer review to decision-making. We are thrilled to launch Cardiovascular Science and aspire for it to become a vital resource and contribute significantly to advancements in the field of cardiovascular diseases.
