Vascular regenerative cell content in South Asians: the key learnings

Purpose of review We aim to provide a comprehensive examination of the literature linking elevated rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals of South Asian ethnicity with the severity of circulating vascular regenerative cell exhaustion. Recent findings Recent findings have demonstrated reduced bioavailability of pro-vascular progenitor cell subsets in individuals with T2D and obesity. Depletion of vascular regenerative cells in the bone marrow – coupled with decreased mobilization into circulation – can negatively impact the capacity for vascular repair and exacerbate CVD risk. Several recent studies have established that although South Asian individuals possess similar inflammatory cell burden compared with other ethnicities, they exhibit marked decreases in vessel regenerative hematopoietic progenitor cells and monocyte subsets. Validation of these findings and investigation the functional capacity of vascular regenerative cell subsets to mediate vessel repair is highly warranted. Summary Vascular regenerative cells play a key role coordinating angiogenic and arteriogenic vessel remodelling. Recent studies have demonstrated that South Asian individuals with T2D show severe depletion in circulating vascular regenerative cell subsets. Because the reversal of vascular regenerative cell exhaustion by current glucose-lowering pharmaceutical agents has recently been documented, early intervention to bolster vascular regenerative cell content may prevent CVD co-morbidities in South Asian individuals with cardiometabolic disease.