Author Description

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are both common diseases seriously affecting human health. CVD refers to a broad range of disorders including diseases affecting the vasculature, the myocardium, the heart’s electrical circuit, and congenital heart disease. NDDs are conditions affecting brain development and function, mainly characterized by impairments of cognition, communication, and motor skills. Although the heart and brain develop in spatially distinct regions, they share similar genetic factors and molecular pathways which are crucial for a precise developmental trajectory. Actually, congenital CVD survivors are at a higher risk of NDD, and whole-exome sequencing revealed a significant overlap between high-risk congenital CVD and NDD genetic variants. For CVD and NDD, the clinical presentations are heterogeneous, and the etiologies are complex. Elucidating the potential pathogenic mechanisms is good for unveiling the pathophysiology and finding the novel therapeutic target.