OR6A2 is a human olfactory receptor and G protein-coupled receptor that detects medium-chain aldehydes, particularly octanal, through a reversible Schiff base linkage mechanism 1. Beyond its canonical role in odorant detection, OR6A2 has critical extranasal functions in vascular inflammation and immune regulation. In vascular macrophages, OR6A2 activation by octanal—a lipid peroxidation product present in blood plasma at pathologically relevant concentrations—triggers NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and interleukin-1β secretion 2. This mechanism drives atherosclerosis development; notably, OR6A2 expression is upregulated in monocytes from patients with large abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) 3. OR6A2 also regulates monocyte recruitment via CX3CR1-dependent migration, with genetic deletion or pharmacological antagonism protecting against AAA formation 3. During myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, elevated OR6A2 expression correlates with increased major adverse cardiovascular events and activates the Olfr2/cAMP/PKA/NR4A1 axis, promoting mitochondrial fission and oxidative stress in macrophages 4. IL-1R1/TLR signaling potentiates OR6A2-mediated inflammasome activation by inhibiting β-arrestin-2-mediated receptor internalization 5. These findings establish OR6A2 as a promising therapeutic target for cardiovascular inflammatory diseases.