Presented on October 2, 2024 by Julia Malkowski, ND, DC as a part of Wellness Wednesdays.
The common advice to limit red meat for heart health is more complex than it seems, with its roots in the gut microbiome. This microbiome serves as a critical bridge between nutrition and cardiovascular health, where interactions between the host and microbiome influence the production of key metabolites such as trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), bile acids (BA), and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Changes in the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome, along with these metabolites, are linked to cardiovascular and metabolic health. Microbial dysbiosis has been associated with the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, and heart failure. There is also evidence that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may precede heart attacks, and fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) can impact not just obesity, but also blood pressure and clotting risk. Recognizing coronary heart disease as a lifestyle-related condition with a strong nutritional component suggests that comprehensive stool analysis could be a valuable tool for assessing chronic dietary habits and leveraging food as medicine. Additionally, expanding the focus beyond traditional cholesterol markers like LDL and HDL to include oxidized LDL, small dense LDL, and non-HDL cholesterol, as well as metabolic indicators such as GlycoMark and fasting insulin, can provide a more holistic approach to cardiometabolic health.
Learning objectives:
1. Explore the Intriguing Link Between the Gut Microbiome and Cardiometabolic Health
2. Recognize the Significant Influence of Host-Microbiome Interactions on Nutrition and Heart Health
3. Utilize Gastrointestinal and Cardiometabolic Testing in Clinical Practice
4. Discover the Essentials of a Functional Approach to Cardiometabolic Health to Enhance Patient Care