BDNF and psychosocial stress measurement: Furthermore, in both an atherosclerotic mouse model and patients with CAD, exercise mitigated stress-induced inflammation via the BDNF-Kif4-TARM1 axis.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Physical exercise alleviates stress-induced neuroimmune crosstalk through the BDNF-Kif4-TARM1 axis, revealing a novel neuroimmune-mediated brain-heart axis that supports exercise-based therapeutic strategies for psychogenic CAD.<h4>Key points</h4>Chronic psychological stress drives systemic inflammation through neuroimmune mechanisms, thereby accelerating the progression of coronary artery disease (CAD).