Mega study with over 400,000 participants - gut bacteria linked to cardiovascular & other health conditions

Mega study with over 400,000 participants - gut bacteria linked to cardiovascular & other health conditions

Gut bacteria linked to dozens of health conditions

Researchers have linked gut bacteria, as well as other microorganisms, to dozens of health conditions. There is a link between gut bacteria and high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to research presented at the virtual annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology.

Hilde E. Groot, MD, from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, spoke about how much information gut bacteria can provide. “Our study shows that microbiota plays an important role in maintaining health and could help us develop novel treatments,” said Dr. Groot. She added that “the extent to which the human gut microbiome can be considered a determinant of disease and healthy aging is unknown.

The human intestinal microbiome consists of the microorganisms present in the digestive tract. These are generally bacteria and single-celled organisms called archaea. These microorganisms also carry genetic material. In the past, small studies have shown that there is a connection between gut bacteria and certain diseases.

The team of Dr. Groot conducted a large-scale study to determine whether this was the case. They examined 422,417 unrelated adults who were in the UK biobank. They had undergone genotyping to identify their genetic makeup and provided information on various diseases and health conditions, including blood pressure and BMI. The average age of the participants was 57 years and 57% of them were women.

Specific diseases and intestinal bacteria

Researchers learned that there is an association between higher levels of 11 types of gut bacteria with 28 health and disease outcomes. These outcomes included type 2 diabetes, heart failure, hypercholesterolemia, osteoarthritis and kidney failure.

The bacteria associated with high blood pressure are called Ruminococcus flavefaciens. Clostridium is associated with platelet count.

Researchers also found links between certain types of gut bacteria and high blood pressure, BMI, high blood fats and frequency of alcohol consumption. There was also a link with atopy, a genetic tendency to develop allergic problems such as asthma and eczema.

In her lecture, Dr. Groot the connection between intestinal bacteria and alcohol consumption. She said: "What we eat and drink is linked to microbiome levels. So we examined the associations with meat, caffeine and alcohol. We observed a more frequent association between increased Methanobacterium levels and alcohol consumption. It is important to emphasize that this is an association, not a causal relationship, and that further research is needed."

Large study on intestinal bacteria

The size of this study makes it exceptional. With more than 400,000 participants, researchers were able to draw clearer conclusions.

"In recent years, the amount of research on the human gut microbiome and its links to health and disease has increased tremendously. However, most studies examined one or more traits. The strength of our study is the ability to cover a variety of traits simultaneously within a population," said Dr. Groot.

Dr. Groot sees this study as a complement to previous research suggesting that there is a connection between the gut microbiome and health outcomes. She believes more research is needed before healthcare professionals can use the gut microbiome to advise their patients.

"Follow-up studies are needed to investigate causality before providing specific advice to the public and health professionals. This study provides clues as to where to go," she concluded.