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From Microbes to Myocardium: A Comprehensive Review of the Impact of the Gut-Brain Axis on Cardiovascular Disease

Summary

Your gut bacteria play a surprising role in heart health through a communication network called the gut-brain axis. When the balance of gut bacteria is disrupted (dysbiosis), it can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, and clogged arteries. Beneficial bacteria produce helpful compounds like short-chain fatty acids that reduce inflammation and protect blood vessels, while harmful bacteria produce compounds that increase heart disease risk. Simple interventions like eating more fiber, taking probiotics, managing stress, and exercising can help maintain a healthy gut microbiome and improve heart health.

Background

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide despite advances in medical research. Emerging evidence suggests a significant role of the gut-brain axis, a complex communication network involving the gut microbiota, central nervous system, and cardiovascular system, in modulating cardiovascular health through systemic inflammation, neurohumoral pathways, and metabolic processes.

Objective

This comprehensive review aims to elucidate the intricate relationship between the gut microbiome, brain, and cardiovascular system, highlighting the mechanisms by which gut-derived signals affect cardiovascular function. The review synthesizes current knowledge on gut microbiota’s role in cardiovascular disease, focusing on microbial metabolites, neuroimmune pathways, and potential therapeutic interventions.

Results

Dysbiosis has been implicated in hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure through multiple mechanisms including systemic inflammation and altered gut permeability. Key microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) exert anti-inflammatory effects while trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) promotes atherosclerosis. The vagus nerve, autonomic nervous system, and HPA axis serve as critical mediators between gut microbiota and cardiovascular function.

Conclusion

The gut-brain-cardiovascular axis represents a novel target for preventing and treating cardiovascular disease. Therapeutic strategies including probiotics, prebiotics, dietary modifications, and pharmacological interventions show promise, though challenges remain regarding individual variability, causality establishment, and need for robust clinical trials. Personalized medicine approaches integrating genetic and microbiome profiling could revolutionize CVD prevention and treatment.
  • Published in:Cureus,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 39497887, DOI: 10.7759/cureus.70877
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