Gut-Microbial Role in Heart Disease!

 

In a combination of both clinical studies of over 4,000 patients and animal model studies, Cleveland Clinic researchers have demonstrated -- for the first time -- that gut microbes alter platelet function and risk of blood clot-related illnesses like heart attack and stroke.

When the nutrient choline -- which is abundant in animal products like meat and egg yolk -- is ingested, gut microbes play a role in breaking it down and producing the compound TMAO. High levels of TMAO have been linked to heart disease in recent studies. The studies showed that blood TMAO levels are associated with heightened risk of heart attacks and strokes in humans, even after adjusting for traditional cardiac risk factors, renal function, markers of inflammation, medication use, and cardiovascular disease status.

The new study -- to be published in Cell's  shows that TMAO directly alters platelet function, increasing thrombosis (blood clot) potential, which could potentially be the mechanism by which TMAO increases heart attack and stroke risk. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized mechanistic link between specific dietary nutrients, gut microbes, platelet function, and thrombosis risk.

In this study, researchers analyzed blood levels of TMAO in over 4,000 patients and saw a significant correlation between higher TMAO and thrombosis potential. This generated the hypothesis that TMAO may directly impact platelet function. Subsequent studies with both human platelets and animal models confirmed that TMAO makes platelets over-reactive, heightening thrombosis potential and accelerating clotting rates. Enhanced platelet responsiveness and clot formation is the culminating event that causes a heart attack or stroke, which account for the majority of deaths worldwide.

Microbial transplantation studies showed TMAO production and thrombosis potential are transmissible traits, building on the recent demonstration that atherosclerosis susceptibility similarly can be transmitted from donor to recipient with transfer of gut microbes via TMAO production potential.

This latest discovery further adds to the growing body of data showing a link between TMAO, gut microbes, and heart disease. It also shows that lowering TMAO may represent a potential new way to reduce the formation of blood clots, and therefore decrease the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. 

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/about-cleveland-clinic/newsroom/releases-videos-newsletters/2016-3-10-cleveland-clinic-study-shows-gut-microbes-influence-platelet-function-heart-attack-stroke

Edited March 10th 2016