Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention in Vascular Calcification Based on Ferroptosis

Vascular calcification is an active and highly regulated complex biological process, which also constitutes an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. Currently, effective therapeutic approaches are lacking. Ferroptosis, as a novel form of programmed cell death driven by lipid peroxidation, has been demonstrated to be closely associated with the pathophysiological processes of cardiovascular diseases. In traditional Chinese medicine, vascular calcification is treated based on therapeutic concepts such as “warming the meridians to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis” and “tonifying deficiency and purging excess” with remarkable curative effects. Nevertheless, the specific mechanisms of action remain ambiguous and warrant further exploration. This article elaborates the mechanism through which ferroptosis induces vascular calcification and summarizes the research advancements in the prevention and treatment of vascular calcification by traditional Chinese medicine.