Food-derived multifunctional peptides offer numerous health benefits through different biochemical pathways. However, their impact on aging-related atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), especially atherosclerosis, remains underexplored despite cardiovascular disease (CVD) being the leading cause of death globally. In this study, NHANES data and Mendelian randomization were used to analyze the association between lipid metabolism disorders, systemic immune responses, dietary inflammatory index, and ASCVD. The results showed that they were all positively correlated with ASCVD. A dietar...