Pathophysiology of Lifestyle Factors, Psychological Health, and Sleep in Cardiovascular Disease: Interconnected Mechanisms

ABSTRACT: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with lifestyle factors such as diet, psychological health, and sleep quality playing pivotal roles in its etiology. This review explores the interconnected pathophysiological mechanisms through which ultra-processed foods, psychological stress and depression, high-fat diets, and poor sleep contribute to CVD risk, focusing on shared pathways including inflammation, neuroendocrine dysregulation, mitochondrial impairment, and genetic/epigenetic alterations.