The gut microbiome plays an important role in an individual's risk for atherosclerosis, one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke, a study has found.
Atherosclerosis is a disorder in which plaque builds up in the arteries.
The study, published in the journal Atherosclerosis, opens the door for new treatment options for those patients with unexplained plaque build-up in the arteries.
To understand the role that bacteria in the gut may play in atherosclerosis, researchers at the University of Western Ontario in Canada examined blood levels of metabolic products of the intestinal microbiome.
They studied a total of 316 people from three distinct groups of patients, including those with unexplained atherosclerosis who do not have any traditional risk factors but still have high levels of plaque burden.
"What we found was that patients with unexplained atherosclerosis had significantly higher blood levels of these toxic metabolites that are produced by the intestinal bacteria," said David Spence, professor at the University of Western Ontario.
The researchers looked specifically at the metabolites TMAO, p-cresyl sulfate, p-cresyl glucuronide, and phenylacetylglutamine, and measured the build-up of plaque in the arteries using carotid ultrasound.
The study noted that these differences could not be explained by diet or kidney function, pointing to a difference in the make-up of their intestinal bacteria.
It indicates that the gut microbiome plays an important role in an individual's risk for atherosclerosis, researchers said.
"The finding, and studies we have performed since, present us with an opportunity to use probiotics to counter these compounds in the gut and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease," said Gregor Reid, a professor at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry in Canada.
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