Heart disease in older people linked to gut bacteria metabolism
The University of Colorado Boulder’s new research has provided some of the most clear evidence available to date that the gut microbiome can produce a metabolite which, over time contributes to the age-related decline in cardiovascular health.
High blood levels of trimethylamine-N-Oxide (TMAO), a metabolic byproduct of digestion, have been strongly linked to negative cardiovascular health. Certain types of bacteria in the gut feed on chemicals found in red meat, eggs, and other animal proteins. They produce TMA or trimethylamine which is then converted into TMAO by the liver.
TMAO has been linked to heart disease in a number of studies, but until now, it was not clear how exactly this metabolite damages the cardiovascular system. Hypertension published a robust study that offers one of the first mechanistic studies to show how TMAO damage the cardiovascular system.
Source:
https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/age-cardiovascular-heart-disease-gut-bacteria-metabolite-tmao/
