Gut microbes play a vital role in predicting several health conditions, reminiscent of obesity, type 2 diabetes and intestinal bowel diseases. A latest study has found that a rise within the variety of a selected variety of bacteria within the gut increases the chance of coronary atherosclerotic plaques or fatty deposits in arteries.

In the most recent study, published in Circulation, researchers from Uppsala and Lund Universities in Sweden evaluated the gut bacteria and cardiac images of 9,000 patients who don’t have any previously known heart conditions.

“We found that oral bacteria, especially species from the Streptococcus genus, are related to increased occurrence of atherosclerotic plaques within the small arteries of the center when present within the gut flora. Species from the Streptococcus genus are common causes of pneumonia and infections of the throat, skin, and heart valves. We now need to grasp whether these bacteria are contributing to atherosclerosis development,” said Tove Fall from Uppsala University, who coordinated the study.

The research team made use of advancements in technology reminiscent of DNA sequencing to discover and compare the samples to known bacteria sequences. The improved imaging techniques helped them to guage early changes within the small vessels of the center.

“The massive variety of samples with high-quality data from cardiac imaging and gut flora allowed us to discover novel associations. Amongst our most vital findings, Streptococcus anginosus and S. oralis subsp. oralis were the 2 strongest ones,” explained Sergi Sayols-Baixeras, a postdoctoral researcher at Uppsala University and a lead of the study.

After evaluating fecal and saliva samples, researchers found that a few of the species of gut bacteria linked to plaque buildup in heart arteries were also related to the degrees of the identical species within the mouth. These bacteria were linked with inflammation markers within the blood.

“We’ve just began to grasp how the human host and the bacterial community in different compartments of the body affect one another,” said Marju Orho-Melander, a senior writer of the study. “Our study shows worse cardiovascular health in carriers of Streptococci of their gut. We now need to research if these bacteria are vital players in atherosclerosis development.”

Published by Medicaldaily.com