Dietary Trends, Microbiome, and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review

Cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with growing evidence highlighting the role of diet and the gut microbiome in cardiovascular health (CVH). This review synthesizes the current knowledge on the interactions between dietary patterns, the g...

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Main Authors: Fabian Sanchis-Gomar, Helios Pareja-Galeano, José María Moya-Morales, Sergio Vázquez-González, Carme Perez-Quilis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-05-01
Series:Heart and Mind
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Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/hm.HM-D-24-00109
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author Fabian Sanchis-Gomar
Helios Pareja-Galeano
José María Moya-Morales
Sergio Vázquez-González
Carme Perez-Quilis
author_facet Fabian Sanchis-Gomar
Helios Pareja-Galeano
José María Moya-Morales
Sergio Vázquez-González
Carme Perez-Quilis
author_sort Fabian Sanchis-Gomar
collection DOAJ
description Cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with growing evidence highlighting the role of diet and the gut microbiome in cardiovascular health (CVH). This review synthesizes the current knowledge on the interactions between dietary patterns, the gut microbiome, and CV outcomes. High-fiber diets, such as the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, promote beneficial microbial species, enhancing the production of short-chain fatty acids that exhibit anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective effects. Conversely, Western diets high in fat and low in fiber are associated with microbial dysbiosis and elevated trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) levels, a metabolite linked to increased atherosclerosis and CVD risk. TMAO has been shown to amplify systemic inflammation by upregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, exacerbating CV damage. This review explores how microbiome composition influences metabolic and immune functions, contributing to systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, which are critical in CVD progression. Personalized nutrition, informed by microbiome profiling, represents a promising avenue for optimizing CVH. Emerging therapeutic strategies, including probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, also offer the potential for modulating the microbiome to improve CV outcomes.
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publishDate 2025-05-01
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spelling doaj-art-826ce9c89b2e4cefbcb9dd2761c779592025-08-20T03:16:06ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsHeart and Mind2468-64762468-64842025-05-019323725410.4103/hm.HM-D-24-00109Dietary Trends, Microbiome, and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative ReviewFabian Sanchis-GomarHelios Pareja-GaleanoJosé María Moya-MoralesSergio Vázquez-GonzálezCarme Perez-QuilisCardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with growing evidence highlighting the role of diet and the gut microbiome in cardiovascular health (CVH). This review synthesizes the current knowledge on the interactions between dietary patterns, the gut microbiome, and CV outcomes. High-fiber diets, such as the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, promote beneficial microbial species, enhancing the production of short-chain fatty acids that exhibit anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective effects. Conversely, Western diets high in fat and low in fiber are associated with microbial dysbiosis and elevated trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) levels, a metabolite linked to increased atherosclerosis and CVD risk. TMAO has been shown to amplify systemic inflammation by upregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, exacerbating CV damage. This review explores how microbiome composition influences metabolic and immune functions, contributing to systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, which are critical in CVD progression. Personalized nutrition, informed by microbiome profiling, represents a promising avenue for optimizing CVH. Emerging therapeutic strategies, including probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, also offer the potential for modulating the microbiome to improve CV outcomes.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/hm.HM-D-24-00109atherosclerosiscardiovascularinflammationmetabolismmicrobiomenutrition
spellingShingle Fabian Sanchis-Gomar
Helios Pareja-Galeano
José María Moya-Morales
Sergio Vázquez-González
Carme Perez-Quilis
Dietary Trends, Microbiome, and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review
Heart and Mind
atherosclerosis
cardiovascular
inflammation
metabolism
microbiome
nutrition
title Dietary Trends, Microbiome, and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review
title_full Dietary Trends, Microbiome, and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review
title_fullStr Dietary Trends, Microbiome, and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review
title_full_unstemmed Dietary Trends, Microbiome, and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review
title_short Dietary Trends, Microbiome, and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review
title_sort dietary trends microbiome and cardiovascular health a narrative review
topic atherosclerosis
cardiovascular
inflammation
metabolism
microbiome
nutrition
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/hm.HM-D-24-00109
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AT heliosparejagaleano dietarytrendsmicrobiomeandcardiovascularhealthanarrativereview
AT josemariamoyamorales dietarytrendsmicrobiomeandcardiovascularhealthanarrativereview
AT sergiovazquezgonzalez dietarytrendsmicrobiomeandcardiovascularhealthanarrativereview
AT carmeperezquilis dietarytrendsmicrobiomeandcardiovascularhealthanarrativereview