Heart disease is the number one cause of death around the world, killing nearly 20 million people each year.
While many people know that things like genetics, diet, and exercise affect heart health, new research suggests that bacteria in your gut might also play a big role—especially in coronary artery disease (CAD), a serious form of heart disease.
Scientists have suspected for some time that gut microbes—the tiny organisms living in our intestines—might be involved in heart disease, but exactly how has remained a mystery. A team of researchers in Seoul, South Korea, is helping to change that. In a new study published in the journal mSystems, they looked closely at how gut bacteria may affect heart health.
The team, led by Dr. Han-Na Kim at the Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, examined stool samples from 14 people with coronary artery disease and compared them to samples from 28 healthy individuals.
They used a technique called metagenomic sequencing, which analyzes all the DNA in a sample to find out not just which microbes are there, but what they’re doing.
What they found was striking. The researchers identified 15 types of bacteria that were linked to heart disease. More importantly, they discovered that in people with CAD, the balance of gut bacteria was dramatically different.
There was a decrease in “good” bacteria that produce helpful substances like short-chain fatty acids, and an increase in inflammation and metabolic problems.
One of the surprising findings was that even bacteria typically seen as “friendly,” such as Akkermansia muciniphila and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, can behave differently depending on the health of the person. In some people, these bacteria help protect against disease, while in others, they may actually make things worse.
Another group of bacteria, called Lachnospiraceae, was also puzzling. Some types of Lachnospiraceae were lower in people with CAD, while others were higher. This means that the same family of bacteria might contain both helpful and harmful strains. Dr. Kim described them as the “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” of the gut.
The study shows how complex the connection between gut bacteria and heart disease really is. It’s not just about having certain bacteria, but also about how those bacteria behave and interact with the body’s systems.
Moving forward, the research team plans to combine these gut bacteria findings with information about genetics and chemicals in the blood to better understand how heart disease develops. Their ultimate goal is to create precise, personalized treatments that use gut bacteria to help prevent or manage heart disease.
Dr. Kim believes that prevention is the most exciting area for future research. If scientists can figure out which bacteria are helpful and which are harmful, they might be able to design simple tools to detect early signs of heart problems using stool samples.
They could also develop dietary strategies or probiotic treatments to restore the balance of good bacteria and block harmful effects.
This kind of gut-focused therapy could become an important part of fighting heart disease around the world, especially since it offers a low-cost, non-invasive way to improve health before major problems arise.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about top foods to love for a stronger heart, and why oranges may help fight obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
For more health information, please see recent studies about simple guide to a 7-day diabetes meal plan, and why you should add black beans to your plate.
The study is published in mSystmes.
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