Emerging research indicates that the composition of gut microbiota may predict the risk of developing cardiometabolic disease, according to a new study from the HELIUS cohort. Scientists found certain bacterial species in the gut are associated with increased or decreased risk of cardiovascular events and metabolic disorders.
Researchers followed nearly 4,800 participants for almost a decade. They observed that gut microbiota composition is associated with future cardiometabolic disease. Some associations were attenuated after adjusting for conventional risk factors, suggesting the microbiome does not operate independently of lifestyle. The study's multiethnic population strengthens the generalizability of these findings. Metabolomics results showed microbes linked to lower cardiovascular risk correlated with metabolites from dietary lignans and plant phenolics, suggesting part of the cardiovascular benefit of plant-rich diets may be mediated through the gut microbiome.
In the prospective multi-ethnic HELIUS cohort, faecal samples were analyzed. The study aimed to determine if baseline gut microbiota could predict long-term cardiometabolic outcomes. Analysis revealed a higher abundance of Eubacterium xylanophilum group spp. and Akkermansia muciniphila was associated with a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE+). Ruminococcus gnavus group spp. was linked to higher MACE risk. After adjustments, only the association with Eubacterium xylanophilum group spp. remained statistically significant. These findings suggest gut microbiota composition is longitudinally linked to cardiometabolic disease risk, offering potential for early detection and personalized prevention strategies.
Exploratory metabolomics analyses further connected Ruminococcus gnavus group spp. to specific bile acid and acylcarnitine metabolites, providing potential mechanistic explanations for its association with cardiometabolic risk. Overall, this study strengthens the evidence that the gut microbiome is a key factor in cardiometabolic health and disease progression. Future research may pave the way for microbiota-informed interventions to predict and prevent hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular events.