Iron, lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis play pathogenic roles in atherosclerosis.

Oxidation of lipids, excessive cell death and iron deposition are prominent features of human atherosclerotic plaques. While extensive research has established the detrimental roles of lipid oxidation and apoptosis in atherosclerosis development, the involvement of iron in atherogenesis is not yet fully understood. With the emergence of an iron-dependent form of cell death termed ferroptosis, new attention has been brought to the complex interplay among iron, ferroptosis and atherosclerosis.