The Gut Microbiome and Disease
All disease begins in the gut. — Hippocrates (460–370 BC)
According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases claim an estimated 17.9 million lives each year — earning their spot as the number one cause of death worldwide.
Of these 17.9 million, ischaemic heart disease is responsible for nearly 9 million.
Ischaemic heart disease develops when the coronary arteries become damaged and decrease blood flow to the heart, often leading to a heart attack. However, because this disease develops over decades, patients often do not notice a problem until it is too late — but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Fortunately, around 80% of cardiovascular diseases are preventable, and are accompanied by risk factors that can be effectively monitored.
The solution to the world’s most significant problem actually lies within us — within our microbiome.
Our bodies are inhabited by a large number of microorganisms, known collectively as the microbiota.
Our microbiota plays a significant role in our overall health, exerting a fundamental influence on vital processes ranging from metabolism to systemic immunity. Over recent years, the gut microbiome has revealed a plethora of interconnections with diseases and conditions, including diabetes and atherosclerosis.
Despite making up more than half of our cells, these vital microbes have been significantly under-researched until recent years.
A study conducted at the University of Colorado in 2019 revealed an unprecedented concept: as the communities of gut bacteria morph with age, they produce harmful metabolites that serve as a driving force for cardiovascular diseases.
Groups of mice were given antibiotics to kill off the majority of the bacteria in their gut microbiome. After a few weeks of treatment, they concluded that old mice had three times more trimethylamine N-oxide — a metabolite that increases the risk of atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart attacks — than young mice.
This ‘gut’ me thinking — can we monitor these bacteria and make the appropriate changes in diet to prevent cardiovascular diseases, decades in advance?
