In a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers from Uppsala and Lund University in Sweden, a significant correlation has been discovered between gut bacteria and coronary atherosclerotic plaques. These plaques, consisting of the accumulation of fatty and cholesterol deposits, are a leading cause of heart attacks.
The findings of this study, recently published in the scientific journal Circulation, shed light on the connection between gut health and cardiovascular health. The study involved a comprehensive analysis of 8,973 participants aged 50 to 65 from Uppsala and Malmö who had no previously known heart disease. These individuals were part of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) and underwent thorough examinations of their gut bacteria composition and cardiac imaging.
The study, coordinated by Tove Fall, Professor in Molecular Epidemiology at the Department of Medical Sciences and the SciLifeLab, Uppsala University, in collaboration with researchers from Lund University, has revealed intriguing findings. It was discovered that specific oral bacteria, particularly those belonging to the Streptococcus genus, showed an association with a higher incidence of atherosclerotic plaques in the small arteries of the heart when present in the gut microbiota. Streptococcus species are commonly known to cause various infections, including pneumonia, throat infections, skin infections, and heart valve infections. These findings have prompted the researchers to emphasize the importance of further investigation to determine whether these bacteria indeed contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
Advancements in technology allowed for extensive characterization of bacterial communities through DNA sequencing in biological samples, while improved imaging techniques enabled early changes in the heart’s small vessels to be detected and measured. The SCAPIS study represented one of the world’s largest collections of both types of data, enabling scientists to uncover novel associations.
According to Sergi Sayols-Baixeras, lead author from Uppsala University, “The large number of samples with high-quality data from cardiac imaging and gut flora allowed us to identify novel associations. Among our most significant findings, Streptococcus anginosus and S. oralis subsp. oralis were the two strongest ones.”
The research team also discovered that certain species linked to the build-up of fatty deposits in heart arteries were also found in the mouth. Faecal and saliva samples from the Malmö Offspring Study and Malmö Offspring Dental Study were used to measure these bacteria. Moreover, the presence of these bacteria was linked to inflammation markers in the blood, even after considering variations in diet and medication between participants who had the bacteria and those who did not.
Marju Orho-Melander, Professor in Genetic Epidemiology at Lund University and one of the senior authors of the study concluded by saying, “We have just started to understand how the human host and the bacterial community in the different compartments of the body affect each other. Our study shows worse cardiovascular health in carriers of streptococci in their gut. We now need to investigate if these bacteria are important players in atherosclerosis development.”
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