What is inside your gut could put you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease.
Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute researchers made the connection between the intestinal microbiome and atherosclerosis, one of the major causes of heart attack and stroke.
Atherosclerosis is a condition where the arteries become hardened and narrowed due to an excessive build-up of plaque. Researchers examined blood levels of metabolic products of the intestinal microbiome in 316 people in three different groups, trying to understand the role bacteria in the gut plays in the condition.
The groups were divided into those with about as much plaque as predicted by traditional risk factors, those with high levels of traditional risk factors but normal arteries, and those with unexplained atherosclerosis who don’t have any traditional risk factors but still have high levels of plaque.
“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 Dr. David Spence, co-author of the study and professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
The differences could not be explained by diet or kidney function, pointing to a difference in the make-up of their intestinal bacteria. Researchers were able to use a carotid ultrasound to measure the plaque build-up.
The study opens the door for new treatment options for people with unexplained plaque build-up in the arteries.
“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 Lawson scientist and probiotics expert Gregor Reid.
The repopulation of the intestinal microbiome is another novel approach to the treatment of atherosclerosis that has come from this study, noted Spence.
The study was recently published in the journal Atherosclerosis.
