Dietary Modification of the Microbiome Affects Risk for Cardiovascular Disease
Abstract
The incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases with age and is associated with some syndromes that exhibit aspects of premature aging, such as progeria. Various factors are thought to contribute to the progression of CVD, including hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diets rich in saturated and trans fats, etc. Recent reports have uncovered an important connection between diet, the microbiome, and CVD. Dietary carnitine (present predominately in red meat) and lecithin (phosphatidyl choline) are shown to be metabolized by gut microbes to trimethylamine (TMA), which in turn is metabolized by liver flavin monoxygenases (especially FMO3 and FMO1) to form trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). High levels of TMAO in the blood strongly correlate with CVD and associated acute clinical events. Plasma TMAO levels may be an important clinical biomarker for CVD. The data suggest that that presence of specific as yet unidentified microorganisms in the gut linked to diet are required for high TMAO levels and TMAO-mediated CVD progression. Development of novel therapeutic approaches to manipulate gut flora may help treat CVD.
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Reducing carnitine or choline levels in the diet is not a possibility for treating TMAO-related diseases because they are important nutrients and low levels can lead to organ dysfunction.
“Instead of changing the gut microbiota, the option of reducing carnitine or choline levels in the diet would not be a possibility because they are important nutrients and low levels of them can lead to organ dysfunction.”
From Implication of Trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO) in Disease: Potential Biomarker or New Therapeutic Target (2018) · cites this paper as [94]
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- Authors
- Mendelsohn, A. R., & Larrick, J. W.
- Affiliations
- Regenerative Sciences Institute (US)
- Venue
- Rejuvenation Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2013-06
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 241-244
- ISSN
- 1094-5458 (ISSN-L)
- 1549-1684
- 1557-8577
- OpenAlex
- W2015463142
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 1
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Rejuvenation Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
- Keywords
- cardiovascular disease, gut microbiota, trimethylamine N-oxide, trimethylamine, L-carnitine, lecithin, flavin-containing monooxygenase, FMO3, FMO1, dietary change, biomarkers, premature aging, Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, red meat
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cardiovascular Diseases, Carnitine, Diet, Humans, Risk Factors, Mice, Lecithins, Microbiota
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