Volume 29, Issue 161, July 2025

The Potential Role of Curcumin in Cardiovascular Risk and Metabolic Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review of Scientific Evidence

Karolina Jońska¹, Jakub Joński^2♦, Ali Kraziński³, Natalia Sak⁴, Oskar Kołdej⁵, Julia Lińska-Kołodziej⁶, Kamil Kraziński⁷, Julia Kałużna⁸, Łukasz Elantkowski⁹

¹Niepubliczny Zakład Opieki Zdrowotnej Przychodnia Lekarska "Eskulap", ul Traugutta 10a, 87-800 Włocławek, Poland
²Wojewódzki Szpital im. błogosławionego księdza Jerzego Popiełuszki we Włocławku, ul. Wieniecka 49, 87-800 Włocławek, Poland
³Uniwersytet Medyczny im. K. Marcinkowskiego w Poznaniu, Fredry 10, 61- 701 Poznań, Poland
⁴University Clinical Hospital of Poznan, Przybyszewskiego 49, 60-356 PoznańPoland
⁵Uniwersytet Medyczny im. K. Marcinkowskiego w Poznaniu, Fredry 10, 61- 701 Poznań, Poland
⁶Uniwersytet Medyczny im Karola marcinkowskiego w Poznaniu, Fredry 10, 61-701 Poznań, Poland
⁷Uniwersytet Medyczny im. K. Marcinkowskiego w Poznaniu, Fredry 10, 61- 701 Poznań, Poland
⁸Uniwersytet Medyczny im. K. Marcinkowskiego w Poznaniu, Fredry 10, 61- 701 Poznań, Poland
⁹Uniwersytet Medyczny im. Karola Marcinkowskiego w Poznaniu, ul. Fredry 10, 61-701 Poznań, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Jakub Joński, Wojewódzki Szpital im. błogosławionego księdza Jerzego Popiełuszki we Włocławku, ul. Wieniecka 49, 87-800 Włocławek, Poland

ABSTRACT

Curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric (Curcuma longa), has caught the attention of researchers because it seems to offer many health benefits and unusual drug-like effects. This comprehensive review explores the potential impact of curcumin in mitigating cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS), drawing upon a synthesis of recent scientific evidence. This review highlights the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antidiabetic effects of curcumin and discusses how these properties may influence key molecular pathways involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Diseases such as atherosclerosis and hypertension closely relate to inflammation and oxidative stress mechanisms that curcumin may help modulate, offering potential therapeutic benefits. This review examines randomized clinical trials investigating curcumin's effects on lipid profiles, glucose levels, and anthropometric measures in various patient populations. Several studies underscore its ability to reduce total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglycerides, and blood glucose levels while exhibiting positive impacts on weight reduction and body fat percentage in individuals with MetS. However, the review shows that study results are not consistent, so larger and longer clinical trials are needed to better understand how effective and safe this substance is. In order to completely comprehend curcumin's role as a dietary therapeutic component in managing a variety of metabolic disorders, this review emphasizes the necessity for more thorough and ongoing clinical trials.

Keywords: curcumin, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, lipid profiles, glucose levels.

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e115ms3601

PDF

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i161.e115ms3601

Published: 25 July 2025