Gut Microbes in Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in both developing and developed world. Lately, importance of diet and gut microbiota in the pathogenesis and management of CVD has been studied in animal and human models. Gut microbes not only regulate the metabolic pathways in the host but are also essential in homeostasis, and change in the composition of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis) has been associated with the development of CVD including atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, and obesity. Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), secondary bile acids, and lipopolysaccharide/endotoxin (LPS) are among the important regulators of cardiovascular homeostasis, derived from gut microbes. This review discusses the normal gut microbiota, role of dysbiosis in cardiovascular disease pathogenesis, and potential therapeutic option for CVD by modulating gut microbiome including that of prebiotics, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).