Metabolic aspects of cardiovascular diseases: Is FoxO1 a player or a target?

The O subfamily of forkhead (FoxO) 1 is a crucial regulator of cell metabolism in several tissues, including the heart, where it is involved in cardiac regulation of glucose and lipid metabolic pathways, and endothelium, controlling the levels of some relevant biomarkers in atherosclerotic process. Despite the growing understanding of FoxO1 biology, the metabolic consequences of FoxO1 modifications and its implication in CVD, atherosclerosis and T2DM are still not incompletely described. In this review we discuss how FoxO1 affects cardiovascular pathophysiology and which of its effects should be restrained or enhanced to preserve endothelial and heart functions.