The Microbiome Connection to Atherosclerosis (*new)

First.. what is Atherosclerosis? Atherosclerosis is the chronic build up of plaque on artery walls. If you’d like to learn more- click here. What Your Poop Says About Heart Health The gut microbiota has been linked to cardiovascular diseases. In a study on the gut microbiome differences between those with atherosclerosis and healthy individuals, the microbiome from 218 individuals with atherosclerosis and 187 healthy people were compared using stool samples. What did they find? The gut microbiome of those with atherosclerosis differed by increased abundance of the more harmful gut bacteria’s- Enterobacteriaceae and Streptococcus. The microbiomes also differ in the potential for metabolism or transport of several molecules important for cardiovascular health. How Does the Gut Microbiome Impact Atherosclerosis? There have been 3 different pathways scientists think the gut microbiome may influence the development of atherosclerosis (1): Pathway 1: (Far right) is through diet. As we discussed previously, by-products produced by gut bacteria play a role in our health. Some are helpful and some are not. A diet high in animal-based proteins and choline/carnitine, can be transformed by gut bacteria into the by-product called trimethylamine. Trimethylamine is then transformed in the liver to the compound TMAO. TMAO promotes atherosclerosis by […]