Research into the gut microbiome and the connection to heart health is shedding new light on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Alterations of the composition and functional capacity of the gut microbiome are now being recognised in relation to both hypertension and atherosclerosis. As recent research highlights three potential pathways for the gut microbiome to influence the development of atherosclerosis, the connection between the gut microbiota and cardiovascular diseases is becoming ever clearer.
Explore the research articles listed below to learn more about these insights and uncover further links between gut microbiome and heart disease.
Science digests and blogs
Gut microbiome plays an important role in atherosclerosis
Gut microbes may affect heart disease risk – new research
Targeting gut bacteria to reduce heart disease
Beneficial gut bacteria metabolise fibre to improve heart health in mice
Heart failure is associated with loss of important gut bacteria
Dietary compound linked to heart disease may be influenced by gut microbiome
Gut bacteria are sensitive to salt: Link to autoimmune disease and hypertension
How bacteria may help regulate blood pressure
Gut bacteria byproduct predicts heart attack and stroke
Academic
Aron-Wisnewsky, J. & Clément, K.
The gut microbiome, diet, and links to cardiometabolic and chronic disorders.
Nature Reviews Nephrology 12, 169 (2015). Doi: 10.1038/nrneph.2015.191
Brial F, Le Lay A, Dumas ME, Gauguier D.
Implication of gut microbiota metabolites in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 75(21): 3977-3990. (2018). Doi: 10.1007/s00018-018-2901-1
Brown, J. M., & Hazen, S. L.
Microbial modulation of cardiovascular disease.
Nature reviews. Microbiology 16(3): 171-181. (2018). Doi: 10.1038/nrmicro.2017.149
Jie, Z. et al.
The gut microbiome in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Nature Communications 8, 845 (2017). Doi: 10.1038/nrcardio.2017.120
Jonsson, A. L. & Bäckhed, F.
Role of gut microbiota in atherosclerosis.
Nature Reviews Cardiology 14, 79 (2016). Doi: 10.1038/nrcardio.2016.183
Marques, F. Z., Mackay, C. R. & Kaye, D. M.
Beyond gut feelings: how the gut microbiota regulates blood pressure.
Nature Reviews Cardiology 15: 20-32. (2017). Doi: 10.1038/nrcardio.2017.120
Menni, C et al.
Gut microbial diversity is associated with lower arterial stiffness in women.
European Heart Journal 39(25): 2390-2397. (2018). Doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehy226
Tang, W. H. W., Kitai, T. & Hazen, S. L.
Gut microbiota in cardiovascular health and disease.
Circul. Res. 120: 1183-1196. (2017). Doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.117.309715
Tang, W.H.W., Li, D.Y. and Hazen S.L.
Dietary metabolism, the gut microbiome, and heart failure.
Nature Reviews Cardiology Epub (2018). Doi: 10.1038/s41569-018-0108-7
Yan, Q. et al.
Alterations of the gut microbiome in hypertension.
Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 7, 381 (2017). Doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00381
Zhernakova, D.V. et al.
Individual variations in cardiovascular-disease-related protein levels are driven by genetics and gut microbiome.
Nature Genetics 50(11): 1524-1532. (2018). Doi: 10.1038/s41588-018-0224-7