A new study from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine has found a surprising way to help detect chronic heart failure—by looking at the bacteria on the tongue.
Researchers discovered that people with heart failure have different microbes on their tongues compared to healthy people. These changes may help doctors diagnose and monitor the disease.
In healthy people, the tongue is usually pale red with a light white coating. But for those with chronic heart failure, the tongue often looks redder and has a yellow coating. These changes become even more obvious as the heart condition gets worse.
In this study, researchers compared 42 people with chronic heart failure to 28 healthy people. None of the participants had mouth diseases, infections, or had recently taken antibiotics or drugs that affect the immune system.
To collect samples, the team used stainless steel spoons to gently scrape the coating off the tongue early in the morning—before anyone had eaten or brushed their teeth.
They then used a technique called 16S rRNA gene sequencing to study the bacteria in the samples. The results showed clear differences between the two groups. People with heart failure had a specific set of bacteria on their tongues, while healthy people had a different set. There was no overlap between the two groups.
The scientists also found five types of bacteria that were very good at telling who had heart failure and who didn’t. These bacteria could correctly predict heart failure in 84% of cases. In addition, they noticed that two types of bacteria—Eubacterium and Solobacterium—became less common as heart failure got worse.
This study suggests that the microbes on your tongue might be a useful tool for spotting heart failure early and tracking how it progresses. It could be a simple and painless way to help doctors keep an eye on heart health.
This isn’t the first time tongue bacteria have been linked to serious diseases. Other studies have shown that changes in tongue microbes may also help detect conditions like pancreatic cancer. Some scientists think that imbalances in these bacteria might trigger inflammation, which plays a role in many diseases—including heart failure.
While this study brings new hope, more research is needed. Scientists still don’t know if the bacteria changes cause heart failure or happen because of it. But the findings open the door to new and easier ways to check for heart problems.
Dr. Tianhui Yuan, who led the study, says that looking at the tongue might help doctors better understand and treat long-term diseases like heart failure. This new approach could make it easier to find heart problems earlier and treat them before they get worse.
If you care about heart disease, please read studies that herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm, and how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and results showing yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
