Role of Microbiota, Fiber, and

Probiotic to Cardiovascular
Diseases
Role of Microbiota in CVD
• Many factors are associated with the increase in risk of CVD, but
growing evidence indicates that the intestinal microbiome and
metabolites contribute importantly in the progression of such
diseases.
• A study conducted by Cui et al. reported that significant differences in
the bacterial composition were found between patients with chronic
heart failure and control subjects.
Role of Microbiota in CVD
• A decrease in the level of F. prausnitzii and an increase in the level of
Ruminococcus gnavus were observed in patients with chronic heart failure.
• Another study showed that patients with heart failure had higher levels of
Prevotella, Hungatella, and Succinclasticum and lower levels of the
Lachnospiraceae family (Faecalibacterium and Bifidobacterium) than did
control subjects.
• Moreover, juxtamucosal bacterial overgrowth and higher bacterial adhesion
were observed in patients with heart failure.
• Jie and coworkers analyzed the gut bacterial composition in patients with
atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and observed significant differences
with higher levels of Enterobacteriaceae and Streptococcus spp.
Mechanism
• The intestinal microbiome communicates with distant organs,
including the heart, through a variety of ways.
• Among these are the production of trimethylamine (TMA)/
trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), short-chain fatty acids, bile acids,
lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and peptidoglycans.
• TMA is formed by gut microbiota after meals containing choline,
phosphatidylcholine, or carnitine, which are present in foods with
high levels of saturated or unsaturated fat. Humans do not possess
TMA lyases, so all TMA is formed by the gut microbiota.
After absorption, TMA is transported to the liver,
where the hepatic enzyme flavin-monooxygenase-
3 (FMO3) oxidizes TMA to TMAO.
Mechanism
• Elevated serum levels of TMAO are positively correlated with early
atherosclerosis in humans and monitoring helps to predict mortality
risk in patients with stable coronary artery disease and acute coronary
syndrome.
• Studies showed that elevated plasma levels of TMAO were associated
with the severity of peripheral artery disease and with high risk of
cardiovascular mortality in patients with peripheral artery disease.
Role of Fiber
• High-fiber diet and acetate supplementation were shown to be able
to alter the gut microbiota composition, resulting in the prevention of
hypertension and heart failure in hypertensive mice.
• Nondigestible fibers are fermented in the colon by gut microbiota,
which leads to the production of SFCAs, mainly butyrate, propionate,
and acetate. The concentrations of SFCAs are lower in patients with
atherosclerotic vascular disease or hypertension.
• SCFAs probably have a beneficial effect on atherosclerotic plaque
formation by improving intestinal barrier function
Role of Probiotics
• Probiotics (Greek; Pro: promotion, Biotic: life) are defined as “live
microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts,
confer health benefits on the host”.
• A large range of fermented products, such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut,
tempeh, and kimchi, which serve as sources of probiotic strains, are
part of the human diet across diverse cultures.
Role of Probiotics in CVD
• Probiotics (Greek; Pro: promotion, Biotic: life) are defined as “live
microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts,
confer health benefits on the host”.
• A large range of fermented products, such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut,
tempeh, and kimchi, which serve as sources of probiotic strains, are
part of the human diet across diverse cultures.
References
• Wu H, Chiou J. Potential Benefits of Probiotics and Prebiotics for
Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke. Nutrients. 2021 Aug
21;13(8):2878.
• Oniszczuk A, Oniszczuk T, Gancarz M, Szymańska J. Role of Gut
Microbiota, Probiotics and Prebiotics in the Cardiovascular Diseases.
Molecules. 2021 Feb 22;26(4):1172.