Key result
Probiotic strains and fiber-rich diets demonstrated modest improvements in blood pressure, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers in cardiovascular disease.
Why the study?
The review examines the role of the gut microbiota in cardiovascular disease, exploring mechanisms linking gut dysbiosis to CVD and evaluating microbiome-targeted interventions.
Do microbiome-targeted interventions improve cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes in cardiovascular disease?
Systematic Review
Do microbiome-targeted interventions improve cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes in cardiovascular disease?
Modulation of the gut microbiome via diet and probiotics shows modest potential for improving cardiovascular risk factors, but current evidence remains early and exploratory.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports further microbiome-targeted research in CVD; too preliminary and heterogeneous for clinical adoption.
This focused systematic review examines the role of the gut microbiota in cardiovascular disease (CVD). The review explores mechanisms linking gut dysbiosis with CVD via microbial metabolites such as trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which affect inflammation, endothelial function, and lipid metabolism. Interventions including dietary modifications, probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and pharmacological agents such as statins, rifaximin, and empagliflozin are evaluated for their impact on microbial composition and cardiovascular outcomes. Probiotic strains and fiber-rich diets demonstrated modest improvements in blood pressure, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers. Studies revealed that gut microbiome alterations influence drug metabolism and bleeding risk in patients taking oral anticoagulants. Limited evidence suggests that modulation of the microbiota may reduce chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. However, only nine eligible studies met the inclusion criteria, reflecting the early and heterogeneous nature of this research area. Consequently, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating. The focused review emphasizes the need for large-scale trials to validate microbiome-targeted strategies in CVD prevention and management. This focused systematic review is registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD420251022190).
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Makkieh et al. (2025) conducted a systematic review in Cardiovascular disease. Gut microbiome modulation (dietary modifications, probiotics, prebiotics, FMT, pharmacological agents) was evaluated. Probiotic strains and fiber-rich diets demonstrated modest improvements in blood pressure, lipid profiles, and inflammatory markers in cardiovascular disease.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: